Wine Review: Rose wines herald warmer weather

Among the first signs of the approaching warm weather seasons are the appearance of rose wines on dealers' shelves.

Let us begin by exploring any misconceptions concerning the variety. Rose wines are not simply red wines mixed with white wines. That may have been done during the Prohibition period, but it has long been discarded and forgotten.

Rose wines are designed to be pink from the very beginning of the winemaking process of turning red grapes into a pink wine. The pulp of all wine grapes is white. The color of a red wine is derived from the grape skins, which not only add color to a wine but are responsible for most of a red wine's characters.

To do the magic that turns red grapes into a pink wine, the grapes are crushed and, after residing together for a very short time, the skins are separated from the must (grape juice for winemaking) when a desired pink color has been achieved. This is the process for making rose wines that has been universally accepted and has remained unchanged for decades. The spent red skins are not discarded but often used to fertilize the vines or to help darken weak red wines.

With this oversimplified description of the rose winemaking process out of the way, I would like to introduce the reader to some of the rose wines that I have recently sampled.

Fiddlehead Cellars 2019 "Pink Fiddle" Rose of Pinot Noir ($30)
This is a wine that, from start to finish, has been intentionally made as a rose. The grapes and the grape must were specifically grown and selected to be used to make a rose, rather than using just any pinot noir grapes they could have bought. With this wine, the rose petal aroma is so prominent that one might believe that someone wearing perfume was standing behind them. When it comes to the flavor and finish, this wine proudly announces its pinot noir parentage. Cherries, cherries and even more cherries combine with cranberries and spice, ending in a perfect finish. Typical of the quality of Fiddlehead wines, this beverage adds a new accent to the variety and should not be overlooked.

Maison Marcel Hearts Rose ($17)
The Maison Marcel Hearts Rose is French, with the grapes coming from the region in southern France that faces the Mediterranean – an area that has been noted for fine rose wines since ancient Roman times. The Maison Marcel rose is a semi-sweet wine which, according to wine historians, is similar to the style enjoyed in ancient Roman times and is, as the makers describe it, “not too sweet and not too dry.” The wine offers the aromas of white peaches and roses, which then follows the wine through to the finish. If you are not familiar with Rhone river rose wines, this wine is an inexpensive way to become introduced to wines similar to them. It’s also an excellent wine to serve with the Mother's Day meal.

Anaba Rose of Grenache ($34)
The Anaba rose is a true child of Sonoma County, California. The grenache grapes used to make this wine hold nothing back and impart to the wine a dynamic aroma of red grapefruit and rose petals that follow through to the finish. This wine will beautifully accompany lighter summer foods and is a winner when served with shellfish or seafood of any type. This is also a wine that can very nicely accompany any vegetarian or vegan meal. While some rose wines are flimsy little things, this wine has body, aroma, flavor and a memorable finish.

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