It’s always Rosé season where I live!

“We’ve had several terrific rosés within the last three or four weeks that I think you might enjoy.

 

2008 Charles & Charles Rosé. This is a rosé of Syrah from the Columbia Valley in Washington and can be found for around $13.99.  An aroma of ripe raspberries unfold into grapefruit, with a taste to match.  For the price, it’s an excellent value.

2008 Korta Katarina Rosé.  This is a rosé of a grape called Plavac Mali, which is one of the primary red grapes grown in Croatia.  At $22/23 it’s a bit pricey, but, I think, worth every penny.  “Lush” is how our friend and Sommelier Leslee Miller described this wine, and I can’t think of a single better word to describe it.  It boasts almost a Watermelon Jolly Rancher-esque nose; I found myself smelling this one even more than drinking it.  The wines from Korta Katarina are just starting to find their way into the US, with Pairings Food & Wine Market in Minnetonka being the first to carry them.  I’m not sure if the rosé is on the shelf there yet, but I’m assured that it will be soon.

2008 Swanson Vineyards Salon Rosato.  This is another rosé of Syrah from what has quickly become one of my favorite wineries, and wine makers, in the US.  It’s available direct from the winery at $21; I paid ~$16 through a Wine Spies deal.  This one is very floral and brings a lot of ripe cherry and raspberry flavors; perfect for a picnic.  It’s a nice wine, though, if I couldn’t get the discount again, I’d rather pay an extra dollar or two for the Korta Katarina.

 

One thing I’ll be looking for more this year are locally produced rosés.  MN wines are really, really hit or miss (with a Nick Punto batting average), but rosé may have found a friend in the Frontenac grape, a red grape bioengineered at the University of Minnesota to withstand the harsh MN winters.  Frontenac has never blown me away as a red wine, but as a rosé, specifically one produced at Crofut Winery in Jordan, MN, I found it really quite appealing.  We visited Crofut on a completely random afternoon late last summer and rather enjoyed our visit.  It’s a cute property and they have a real passion for what they’re doing.  During the summer on Friday evenings they feature an outdoor dinner with wine pairings.  We didn’t get to one of the dinners last year but we’re hoping to this year.”