By Len Gulino
Harry’s Wine and Liquor
harrys@snet.net

Rosé currently has a terrible image problem. Back in the 1970s, before we all became sophisticated foodies, a bottle of Mateus Rosé could be found everywhere.  But over the last couple of decades, selecting a bottle of rosé marked you as being somewhat unsophisticated and out-of-date.  Yet this is not the case in the South of France. There, they drink rosé by the tanker-load. And, by and large, they are more fashionable, chic and 'foodie' than most of us. Wander past the bistros in trendy Cannes, St Tropez or Cassis, and you'll see what they drink with their Bouillabaisse: probably not white, not red, but pink.

Perfect to accompany a summer luncheon or to enjoy while lazing around on a hot weekend afternoon, a rosé wine can make a pleasant change from the more common summer quaffers.  The best rosé wines are made from red wine grapes. The grapes are lightly crushed and the clear juice extracts the color from the skins. The longer the juice stays in contact, the more color you get, so a rosé wine has only a few hours contact, resulting in a lovely rose or salmon color.   Rosé wines have not usually seen any oak, so when you smell the wine you get the aromas of the grapes themselves, sometimes quite reminiscent of fresh berries and flowers. Rosé wines are made to enjoy while young and there are several ready now for summer drinking.

The qualities to look for in a good rosé are crispness and freshness (buy the most recent vintage), fruitiness, good balance (they need acidity to provide food compatibility since they don't have tannin), and low cost (they are glugging wines).   These wine recommendations have these characteristics and they are all from the 2001 vintage.

Chateau Saint Jean “Cuvee Natacha” ($7.99)

Mas Sainte Berthe Les Baux de Provence          ($9.99)

Commanderie de Peyrassol ($12.99)

Cune ($8.99)

If you are planning something else for your holiday entrée stop by, call, or email us at Harry’s in Fairfield (259-4692, harrys@snet.net) for appropriate wine recommendations.  Also check back regularly to our webpage on culinarymenus.com for upcoming wine tasting classes (all levels), wine dinners, and other events that we are planning throughout 2002.

“Wine is the divine juice of September” (Voltaire)

Len Gulino
Harry’s Wine and Liquor
harrys@snet.net

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