What ever happened to rose wines? They were once very popular and then, and all of a sudden, they became hard to find.
The problem probably lies with the advent of the blush or white zinfandel. The light, pink-colored blush zinfandel became a favorite among younger wine novices and the, “I don’t drink wine but I love the white zinfandel” set.
Those who still enjoyed the drier blush wines were left out in the cold because sales of classical rose wines fell as store shelf space was gobbled up by the ever-expanding blush zinfandel craze. When sales dropped, American producers turned away from rose wines in favor of the more popular styles.
After a long absence, there are now some excellent rose wines returning to the marketplace that are fruity and refreshing without being overly sweet. Here are a few we recently sampled.
Marc Roman Rose ($11)This wine comes from the warmer southern growing districts of France and has been made from the area's famed syrah grape, which is a sure formula for a fine wine.
The color is a dark salmon pink and the aroma displays a feast of fresh summer strawberries and raspberries, which proceed on to the flavor.
Here is a wine that you can serve with pride and the knowledge that it will not fail you.
Paul Jaboulet Aine 2013 Parallele 45 ($15) It’s French, it’s rose and it’s from one of the top producers of rose wines in the country.
Parallele 45 is a blend of grenache, cinsault and syrah, which results in a delightful salmon pink-colored wine displaying the aroma of fresh summer fruits and spice and a flavor of summer berries. It's enhanced by a near perfect acid balance.
El Coto Rioja Rosado 2013 ($13)This wine is made from very Spanish grapes, the tempranillo and the garnacha, the latter of which is the same grape that's known as grenache in California and France.
Its friendly pink color cradles an aroma of summer flowers and red berries. These carry over to the flavor where they mingle with a hint of cherries.
This is a dry wine and that can be a positive addition to any spring or summertime repast.
Finca 2013 Museum Vinea Rosado ($12) If there is any question about the quality and finesse of a rose wine, the Finca Museum Vinea Rosado should settle that. This is a wine of outstanding and almost overwhelming proportions.
It has been made with the little known (outside of Spain) grape the tinta del pais, which translates as ink of the country. A tinta grape is one often used to add color to a wine and is seldom used as an individual variety, let alone as a rose. If it was an experiment, the experiment was a monstrous success.
The color is a vivid pink and the aroma is alive with strawberry and raspberry. The flavor displays red summer fruits of all kinds ending in a mineral like fruity finish.
This wine is outstanding with any seafood dish and is an absolute knockout with shellfish.
Pascal Jolivet Sancerre Rose ($27)This wine was made from the pinot noir grape and is, to say the least, outstanding. It is a wine that captures all of the flavor and aroma nuances of the pinot noir grape and presents them in the free and open style of a rose wine.
The aroma is filled with scents of wild flowers and strawberries. The flavor is a riot of strawberries and wild flowers following through to the finish, which is long and clean.
This wine is a pure delight and can accompany almost everything. If you miss this wine, you will have missed one of the great joys of the wine world.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages ArticlesOnWine.com. He can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.
