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Wine Review: Rose wines accompany spring’s bloom

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Spring is officially on its way. The birds are chirping, the ice is melting, the heat is not turning on as often, the crocus and daffodil shoots are pushing through the soil and rose wines are being prominently displayed.

For many good reasons, it is rose wines that seem to be the forebearer of warmer weather.

I was invited to sample some recently arrived French and Italian imports. All are rose wines, and, contrary to recent trends, all are at affordable prices. Again, I admonish the reader not to judge a wine by its price. In my career as a wine columnist, I have poured a $189 bottle of wine down the drain, and I have waxed poetic over a bottle of Gallo Hearty Burgundy, priced at $9.95 for a magnum bottle.

Fete des Fleurs Rose 2020 ($19)
You will have to love this wine because almost every grape variety used to make a rose is represented. This French import is made from 40% grenache, 35% cinsault, 10% carignan, 10% syrah, 3% mourvedre and 2% rolle. As you can probably imagine, the wine presents a basket of summer fruits and flowers in the aroma which then move right onto the flavor. There also is an obvious and delightful fruit acid, which amplifies flavors and makes this wine even more interesting.

Mosketto Frizzante Rosato ($12)
This is a slightly sweet pink wine that offers just a little bit extra. The extra that I referred to is that the wine is frizzante. Translation: It is slightly carbonated. Made from moscato and brachetto grapes, this rose offers an aroma of pink grapefruit, strawberries and watermelon, along with just the slightest hint of citrus that carries over to the flavor and the bubble-enhanced finish. The fact that it is frizzante adds that extra bit of curiosity and interest to an enjoyable wine that is considerably more multifaceted than others from the variety.

Art of The Earth 2019 Rose ($14)
This wine is a fine example of a dry French rose, a style that the French have been producing for centuries. Its fruity flavor and aroma have been this style's hallmark and the Art of The Earth 2019 Rose is a true and honest example of that style. The classical fruity aromas of a rose wine, strawberry and raspberry, are clearly obvious and follow through to the finish. This wine could be considered a poster child for all dry French rose wines.

Acquesi Brachetto D'Acqui DOCG ($18)
This is an Italian sweet sparkling red wine with all the flavors and aromas that are usually associated with a red wine. The aromas of dark red summer fruits rise from the glass as the wine is poured. The first sip reveals a host of summer berries and fruits with a modest hint of spice that appears to be carried by each of the rising bubbles. This wine is not one to save for special occasions but begs to be served with spicy foods. If you have never tried a sparkling beverage with a meal, you have missed one of the great culinary matchups of all time. This wine can beautifully accompany almost everything from pizza to filet mignon.

Wine columnist Bennet Bodenstein can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.

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