Seriously, Rosé wine is for everyone and not just for Mother’s Day!
Let’s hear it for Rosé Wine! Woo!
It’s not just a Mother’s Day thing!
Let’s talk about it!
If you live in the United States, it seems like every liquor and wine store is showcasing rosé wine for Mother’s Day. They seemed to take time out for Cinco de Mayo and showcase tequila, but otherwise it is rosé time! The amount of pink in the wine store windows is blinding!
Rosé wine is for everyone. There are as many options for rosé wine as there are for white wine. Actually, I should really say there are as many options for red wine since rosé wine is usually made from red grapes.
Quick overview of how rosé wine is made:
Most rosé wines are made from red grapes. The skin is what gives the wine the color. When you crush the grapes, you leave the juice in contact with the skin for a very short time. Voilà! You have rosé wine! There are other methods, but limited skin contact is the most common. If you want to do a deep dive, research saignée.
There is also a method called blending which is literally blending white wine and red. Other than in Champagne, it is not allowed in Europe. New World has fewer rules, so it can be done there. In case you missed all my posts about New World and Old World Wine, just know that Europe is Old World and New World is everywhere else. I really simplified it, but go with it.
It’s possible to try to make your own rosé wine with this method, but I do not know anyone personally who has tried this. Now that I have mentioned it, maybe I may try it one day and report back.
Now to the different styles and flavors of rosé.
This is the good stuff, the reason why rosé wine is for everyone!
Rosé wine can go from sweet to fruit forward to savory. Many people confuse fruit forward (referred to as fruity by some) and sweet. Nope! With wine it all comes down to balance.
It is not just what grapes are used, and it is often a blend, but where the wine is made. Wine from the Loire Valley will often be different than the South of France (Pays D’Oc region) which will be different from Provence. And that is just in France!
I recently went to a wine tasting and had 3 different rosé wines from the Languedoc region of France. They were all incredibly different! This region is geographically within Pays D’Oc which I mentioned above.
There is no way you can’t find a rosé wine you would love. You may have to work a little to find it, though.
ADVICE:
First decide your price range. If you want, compare rosé wines from different price ranges and see if it is worth the extra cost. Don’t be a lemming and just buy what “everybody” says is THE thing to buy. If all the money for the wine is going into marketing, why bother? If in a wine store, ask what you are gaining with the higher price tag. This is always a good idea with whatever wine you are thinking of buying.
What style would you prefer? Think about whether you want more fruit forward or savory. Don’t be rigid with this, though. There can be a time and place for both. I have read articles that will describe a rosé wine as either savory or fruity based on the grapes it is made with. I would not rely on that. There are stylistic differences based on where and how it is made.
However, if it is a white zinfandel it is almost always sweet. That does not mean just fruit forward. It means sweet.
If in a restaurant and they offer many different rosé wines by the glass, ask to taste each one before you order the glass. If that seems like too much, compare just two. You will learn a lot about what style you prefer.
This is my go-to easy drinking Rosé: La Vielle Ferme from France.
I have guests who dislike sweeter wines love this and those who like sweeter wines love this. It seems to work for almost all! It is very reasonably priced.
This is another delicious and very reasonably priced wine. It is from Trader Joe’s.
You can’t go wrong with this.
Bertrand Cotes des Roses is another great choice for a rosé.
Not only is the wine delicious, but the bottle itself is beautiful with its rose design and glass cork.
Think about when you will be drinking the wine: If you are drinking rosé in the heat outside, really check alcohol percentages. All of the wines pictured above have13% alcohol. There are many delicious rosé wines with lower alcohol percentages. They are usually a little lighter and leaner with 11.5% alcohol. On a warm day especially, the alcohol will catch up with you. Be mindful of this when drinking.
So go out and explore rosé wines whether you are a mother or not.
These wonderful wines are for everyone!
Remember to celebrate National Rosé Day on June 10th! Not to be confused with Rosé Day on June 13th! Or Rosé Day on the 4th Friday in June!
I love these made up wine celebration days.
