Bacchus
First of all, let me say that I drink pink wine. I am more than secure enough with my masculinity to drink rosés and hell, I’m even comfortable enough to blog about it. I know pink wine doesn’t have the best reputation in this country, thanks to the ocean of white zinfandel that has flooded the market. But as much as I’d like to curse white zin for staining (albeit a pale pink stain) the reputation of this wine style, it did play a powerful role in saving all the zinfandel vines in California. There would be no iconic “old vine zinfandel” in production and Sonoma county may have never become a serious wine region.
Rosé wines, unlike white zin, shouldn’t be thought of as insignificant or insipid, they should be seen the perfect bridge between red and white wines and a great option with foods that fall between these worlds. Rosé has been produced, consumed and respected in France for a very long time. Wines of Provence, such as Bandol, and Tavel are serious drinking and pair brilliantly with seafood and pork. Rosés can add a touch of structure and tannin to white wine that makes them better with food then either of their siblings. Be it rosé champagne blushing from pinot noir with subtle hints of strawberry, or a dry and delicious grenache rosé from Tavel, waiting to be paired with sardines, these are versatile and wonderful wines. Damn the bubble gum badge of dishonor pinned on them by white zinfandel, relegating pink wine to hapless housewives and bingo parlor bluehairs! Rosé is held in high esteem in Europe, along with other things we Americans toss aside as trivial, such as literature and the arts. My advice to you is pick up a bottle of rosé and be proud. It’s delicious and deserves some respect. Drink Pink!
A domestic wine that fits this category well is Charles and Charles’ Columbia Valley rosé. Bone dry with bright refreshing acidity and aromas of strawberry and raspberry, this wine goes well with food, or without it. Grab it at Whole Foods on sale for $10.99.
