My friend E’ohcarak is a sage of the D.C. food-wine-bar scene. She recently told me, “Rosé all day!” is a familiar cry heard throughout D.C. bars, and even the guys are drinking Rosé! For my reader’s edification, the name E’ohcarak is Irish Gaelic and roughly translates to “speedy little sage of wine and food.”
Anyway, she was going on and on about Rosé and how they’ve been the go-to wine in our nation’s capital for some time now. By the way, she knows these trendy things. As a matter of fact, if E’ohcarak were a wine, she’d be a Rosé! Yep, one foot in the world of whites and the other in Reds, that’s her. At any rate, she kept prattling on about Rosé like a drunk monk, and in the end, I was persuaded by all the mumbly-jumbly to write a blog about them!
Rosé = Pink
The French word Rosé in English means Pink. Look it up. So, let’s call it Pink wine, then! Well, it may be too late for that. The French got here first. FYI, in Spain, Rosé is called Rosado. In Italy, it’s Rosato, and in Germany, it’s Weissherbst.
How do they do it?
Rosés come in various colors, from very pale pink to cranberry-juice red. The amount of color depends on how long the juice stays in contact with the grape skins (a few hours to several days) as it is soaked before fermentation. The amount of sweetness depends on when the winemaker stops the fermentation process. You may see the term saignée (pronounced ‘san-yay‘) on wine labels, and this is a method of Rosé production where wine is bled from a tank at the proper time, and the remaining juice is made into red wine while the bled-off wine is fermented as a Rosé.
We love Rosé
It turns out we love Rosés, and they’ve exploded in popularity, becoming the preferred wine of the millennial crowd and making regular appearances on social media sites, #roseallday! Rosés have the fastest-growing sales of any wine category in the U.S. Since production costs are low, they’re a good-value wine. The speedy little sage of wine and food may be on to something here. This can only be good for up-and-coming wine regions like Virginia since it has so many good Rosés.
Sparkling Rosés should be chilled to the ideal temperature when serving. This Laser Wine Thermometer reads the internal temperature of the wine in the bottle before you pop the cork!!
Who’s got good local stuff in Virginia?
Rosés should be thirst-quenching, crisp, fruity, and refreshing with medium acidity; my recommended Virginia Rosés are that and more. They’re well-crafted wines with their style, uniqueness, and expression of the local terroir. Some are made from a single grape type, Merlot, for example. Others are blends.
Virginia Rosés, I recommend:
Boxwood Rosé – Boxwood Winery, Middleburg VA
“A dry blend of grapes grown and processed in the Bordeaux style at John Kent Cook’s historic estate in the Middleburg AVA. The sustainable vineyard consists of certified French clones exclusively. Grapes are hand-harvested, hand-sorted, and fermented in stainless steel tanks. 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. 24% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc, 11% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot. 596 cases produced.” – Bottle notes, 2017 vintage
Crosé – King Family Vineyards, Crozet, VA, near Charlottesville.
“Our dry, Merlot-based rosé is fresh and crisp with notes of grapefruit, lime, watermelon, and a light grassiness on the nose. Throughout the palate, a lifting acidity carries flavors of bitter cherry, peach, and Rosé petal. Friendly with lighter fare, this wine is also a great companion for the porch or patio.” – Vintner’s notes
La Belle Vie Rosé – Potomac Point Winery, Stafford, VA
“Thirst-quenching Rosé wine offers aromas and flavors of strawberry, raspberry, and red cherries. Mixed with floral notes, this wine finishes clean with refreshing acidity. Pairs well with spicy foods, salmon, poultry, mild cheese, and creamy dips.” – Vintner’s notes
Gold medal winners at the Virginia State Fair Wine Competition
Barboursville Vineyards – Allegrante 2017
Maggie Malick Wine Caves– Rosé Wine 2017
Additionally, I searched for “Rosé Virginia” on Wine Enthusiast’s website, and thirteen results were returned, all rated highly – Virginia Pinks
Who got there first?
France. Provence, France, has been making wine there since 600 B.C. Located in the south of France with a beautiful Mediterranean climate, Provence accounts for 40% of all the best Rosé in France. They use Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Tibouren grapes and produce many styles, from dry to sweet to sparkling.
Rosés and food pairing
Rosés are very versatile wines that pair well with many foods. In my experience, they go best with salty cured meat, roasted nuts, Brie, and Gruyere cheese. I love them as an appetizer or starter wine at a dinner party, and sparkling Rosés are beautiful dessert wines available in dry to sweet styles.
Now with that said, the only thing left is, Pinkies Up, ya’ll!!
