Rosé Revival
Survival of the fittest they say, right? Well, only the strong drink pink is what I say! 
Here we are again, another spring season and another vintage struggling to make folks understand in the great state of Minnesota – just how lovely PINK can be. I watch as some of my favorite wine shops pile up on rosé, but the restaurant crowd is still a bit reluctant to put it on their wine lists. What’s the excuse that I hear day to day? – “People in Minnesota just don’t order it” Why? Because they think it’s either White Zinfandel or they order it thinking it’s White Zinfandel and then are disappointed when it’s dry. Such a bummer. Haven’t we come to the conclusion here people, that all it takes is just a little education?? How great would it be if we could just all get together and enjoy PINK for what it is…crisp, drippin’ juicy strawberry aromas with hints of whatever the PINK is bled from – Cabernet, Zinfandel, Syrah, Grenache, Tempranillo, Pinot Noir, Nero d’Avola or any other gosh darn grape you want to use – delish. Well guess what, now we have no good excuse to avoid it, and one good reason to bathe in the glow of all the rosé that one can handle. A rosé party!
Who: A dear pal of mine, Mr. Chuck Kanski, owner of Solo Vino wine shop located on Selby Ave, St Paul is one of the biggest rosé freeks out there! As Ze’ Master of ceremonies, he will be there.
When: Sunday, May 31st from 2-5pm – Rain or shine, baby!
Where: WA Frost, 374 Selby Ave, St Paul
Cost: $20 per person allows you to try over 100 rosés
It’s a Rosé Tent Tasting – WOW! Are you kidding?…you’ve gotta check this out!
And, if you can’t get over to the gig on the 31st, be sure to check out Chuck’s rosé selection at Solo Vino, 517 Selby Ave, St Paul www.solovinowines.com
Here are a couple that I picked up this week at his shop that I enjoyed…
Shane Rosé – Sonoma County – only 250 cases produced – $12 bottle
This rosé, a bleed of Syrah, is a nice approach for dinner. A little deep and lusty at first for my liking, but softened up after a glass or two or three! Sweet notes of fresh ripe watermelon and very ripe strawberry bed. I’m guessing that it would be great with a nice grilled salmon goat cheese salad.
Domaine du Dragon Rosé – Provence – A-typical bleed from Provence Grenache and Syrah – $11 bottle
Absolutely delish and always one of my favorite rosés of the summer year after year! Hints of fresh citrus, lite strawberry, honeydew with an oyster shell backbone. This is your ‘throw it in a tumbler and take a nice evening walk around your neighborhood block’ kind of rosé. Fresh and always delightful and freekin’ CHEEP, I love it.
Tis the season to drink more of it. After all, it is almost summer and what a better libation to enjoy than rosé? Get after it!
Read my article from last season’s Midwest Wine Connection on PINK: http://www.wineheads.com/pdfs/july07.pdf
Comments 1
We did a little rose homework yesterday…
Fat Bastard Rose (the blushing bastard):
A 50 / 50 mix of shiraz and grenache. Fat Bastard
According to Fat Bastard’s website, this is “Round and full on the palate with bright, balanced acidity, ripe red fruites and a long, crisp finish.” and “A highly versatile wine. Enjoy as an aperitif, with BBQ, fresh summer salads, spicy and fried food, or simply paired with soft cheeses.”
We had it with pulled pork and a barbecue rub, a summer pasta salad, beans, fruit, cole slaw… things that would seem to fit it. I’m hoping that we had a bad bottle and that what we tasted isn’t what we were supposed to taste. Ripe red fruits came off as the sharp bastard child of strawberries and watermelons, and as the wine got warmer it took on very strong overtones of cough syrup with the wife having a hard time deciding if it was more like Robitussin or NyQuil. Fat Bastard has normally been a decent wine for its price point, but this one was bad enough to make me think twice about trying the brand again.
We moved on with…
Red Guitar “Old Vine” Rose:
a dry grenache from the Navarra area of Spain. I’ve enjoyed a lot of Spanish wines over the last few years and have frequently found them to have a lot of bang for the buck. This one was about $10 and well worth the money. It was dry but not overly so with very nice red berry flavor (strawberries and raspberries being the most noticeable). We started it at the end of the earlier meal and I think I had the last glass as we sat down to supper with with crab cakes, steak, and some of the salads left over from earlier in the day. It went with everything wonderfully, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be picking up another bottle due to how versatile it is and how well it seemed to fit the thought of being a nice deck wine.