Somebody out there in wine country decided the best wine to serve with a true St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage dinner would be a rose. I guess the logic was since corned beef is a red meat, which usually calls for a red wine, and cabbage, a vegetable, would call for a white wine. Using more logic, combining the two would produce a pink or rose wine.
Mixing red and white wine to produce a rose is not the usual method of making one. Rose wines are made from red grapes that have not been given much contact with the skins which are the color producing element in a wine.
Discounting the loudly touted green – artificially colored – beer, a rose wine will definitely fill the St. Patrick ’s Day bill.
Left Coast Cellars 2016 Rose of Pinot Noir ($24)
Rose wines have become very popular in recent years as they can accompany the wider varieties of food that are currently in today’s marketplace.
The Left Coast Cellars 2016 Rose of Pinot Noir is a perfect example of the rose style. There is little doubt this wine is a pinot noir as the usual aromas of the red pinot noir are joined with the flavors and aromas found in a fine rose. Strawberries abound in the aroma while it is citrus and watermelon that dominate the flavor. The finish is, as it is with most good pinot noir’s, long and delicious.
Van Duzer 2016 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Rose ($20)
The Van Duzer 2013 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Rose is a giant step backwards to a time when rose wines were made to honor a vineyard.
The aroma of this rose is filled with scents of strawberries and cranberries with pomegranates quietly lying in the background which then follows through to the flavor and then on to the very long and fruit packed finish. If I scored this wine with number, as some do, on a 1 to 10 scale, I’d give this wine a 24. This wine may be a bit hard to find in local stores but it can be obtained
online.
Acrobat 2016 Rose of Pinot Noir ($16)
If the name alone doesn't peak the interest, nothing will. The Acrobat 2016 Rose of Pinot Noir presents an inviting salmon pink color and the aroma of citrus, pomegranates, strawberries and a hint of violets. The flavor stresses summer berries accompanied by a positive and obvious citrus.
This wine, as with any rose wine, should be served slightly chilled, as too much time in the fridge will reduce the flavor and aroma. About 15 to 20 minutes in the refrigerator will result in a perfectly chilled wine.
King Estate 2016 Willamette Valley Mountain Blocks Rose ($24)
This wine is another example of why Oregon Pinot Noir’s and Pinot Noir Rose’s are becoming so popular. This soft and attractive pink dry rose wine is reminiscent of the great French wines of Tavel.
The aroma of this wine can be said in two words, pure perfume. The aroma alternates between sun-warmed rose petals and fresh picked strawberries. Black cherry, raspberry and strawberry flavors share the palate with a vibrant acidity. These same flavors continue on to the finish. It is a very interesting and delightful wine.
Chateau Gassier 2016 Esprit Gassier ($19)
It’s French, it’s a rose and comes from the Cotes de Provence, the birthplace of rose wines. The least that can be said about this wine is that it is huge in every thing that one seeks in a fine rose, but rarely gets.
The color is a delightful salmon pink and the aroma is a feast of fresh summer fruits and spice. Soft summer berries make up the flavor, which is enhanced by a near perfect acid balance. Here is a wine that you can serve with pride and the knowledge that it will not fail you.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages Facebook.com/ArticlesOnWine. He can be reached at ben@articlesonwine.com.
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