Not the movie, the wine!  And I don’t mean white zinfandel!  It is finally Rose season! (Although I admit to drinking this delicious wine all year.)  Even though it is currently 57 degrees outside, it is officially Spring and therefore, the new vintage of rose’s are beginning to arrive at your favorite restaurants and wine shops.  This post is dedicated to singing the praises of my favorite pink wines.  Have you ever tried a rose?  What makes a rose? How do wine makers get that pink color?  Rose 101, answered here.  A typical rose is made from red grapes that are only left on the skins for a brief period of time.  The skin from the grapes is what gives a wine it’s color.  The juice and the pulp of the grape are usually white.  One popular way of making rose is to leave the crushed grapes on the skins for a very short period, usually 24 to 72 hours.  The skins are then removed before fermentation.  Rose can be made from many different grape varietals, and many roses are blends of several different grapes.  Some of my favorites are made from Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir (either blends or single varietals.)  Okay, enough of the technical stuff…..

Here is what I really love about rose – the taste, the flavor, the experience!  On the nose, rose wines deliver aromas such as strawberry, watermelon and rose petals.  Don’t be fooled by the “fruity” aromas, the best rose’s are fermented to bone dry.  On the palate, the wine has the texture and flavor that you would expect from a red wine, but without the interference of tannins or oak.  The color ranges from pale pink to salmon, and depends on the time left exposed to the skins.  More time = deeper color.   My favorite rose wines come from the French region of Provence.  I enjoyed the Bieler Pere et Fils 2010 Rose the other day.  It is pale pink in color and has everything one would expect from a fine Rose.  The lingering finish is dry with flavors of fresh strawberries.  This wine is from central Provence, and is a brand new import for South Carolina.  You can enjoy this wine at The Red Minnow Dinner Club (a fantastic new restaurant that opens this weekend in the Upsate),  or pick up a few bottles at Scrooge’s Spirits, in Anderson. I think you will agree that this wine delivers an amazing flavor at a great value.  Chill, drink and relax!