Ah, rosé season has arrived!  Lovely pink displays arrived in local wine shops just as the cherry blossoms reached their peak.  While it may seem a bit early to be drinking rosé, when it hits 85 degrees in April, it is time to break out the pink bottles. 

Just a refresher, in case you do not remember, rosé can be made three ways:  skin contact (wine is left in contact with the red grape skins for 1-3 days before the must is pressed, and the skins discarded), saignée (a portion of the juice is “bleed” off the must, and separately fermented), and blending (mixing some red wine into a white wine to impart color; this method is not favored).  It is now produced globally, and comes in many grape varieties and shades of pink, from the palest salmon in Provence to the deepest pink from Spain and Argentina, and in both dry and sweet styles.  The selections below are all dry, being my preference.

 For Easter, I served 2016 Caravinserail Elicio Rosé from the Rhone, France, a lovely Grenache-Syrah blend.  Bright pink in color, with flavors of raspberry and strawberry, this was a delight.  The bottle also has a screw top, making for easy tail-gating and beach drinking[1]  Canal’s Bottlestop offers it for about $10 a bottle.

One of my favorites year after year is Corte Gardoni Bardolino Chiaretto, from the Veneto region of Northeast Italy.  2016’s iteration is a deep pink color, with flavors of cranberries and a little spice. This dry rosé was delicious even at room temperature, a true test of a rosé in my book.  Moore Brothers (and hopefully soon, Wineworks) offer it for around $15.  

Another favorite year to year is Les Lauzeraies – Tavel Rosé.  The 2015 has a floral and spicy aroma, with layers of cherry and raspberry fruit, and some salinity on the finish.  Offered at Wineworks for $11. 

Rose pairs extremely well with food and usually runs well under $20 a bottle.  Unfortunately, there is a season for rosé, and once the producers’ limited supply is gone, you will have to wait until next year’s release.  So if you find a bottle you particularly enjoy, get a case of it!  Salut!

[1] The author does not encourage any tail-gating or beach drinking, and leaves the reader to abide by his or her own judgement, rather than following the author’s bad example.

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