Rosè Wines .... A Bouquet for Mom

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

When you pick up those flowers for your mother why not give her a bottle or two of rosé wine also.  If you need an idyllic image as to why this is a great idea, think of summertime on the French Riviera.  There, they drink dry rosé by the tanker-load - yes, we said "DRY".  Wander past the bistros in trendy Cannes, St Tropez or Cassis, and you'll see that they are enjoying carafes of not white, not red, but loads of beautifully pink wine with their Bouillabaisse.  If you thought that all rosé wines were sweet, you must sample some of the selections below to experience how wonderfully dry, crisp, and refreshing they really are. These are wines that deserve to be an item on your summer menus.

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.