Re-Thinking Rose' - Real Men Do Drink Pink by Jane A. Nickles
Monday, September 6, 2010
Jane A. Nickles

In macho Basque country, straddling the Pyrenees Mountains at the junction of Spain and France, there is a unique custom called “Poteo”.   Poteo is a “guys only” kind of male bonding ritual that consists of visiting as many bars as possible in one night and drinking a glass of a drink known as “Pitilingorri” at each bar. Pitilingorri, it seems, is a macho blend of rosé wine and lemonade.  True to its “boys night out” theme, the cheaper and nastier the rosé, the better. 

Despite this rough-and-tumble old-world role for rosé, outside of Basque country many people still have the impression that pink wine is strictly for the ladies. They would have you believe if a guy drinks pink he is somehow less of a man. These people are surely confusing true rosé with a very typical American style of pink wine commonly referred to a “blush”.  The word blush was coined here in the 1960s and has come to refer to those low-acid, soft, ticklishly sweet pink wines exemplified by certain versions of the uber-popular White Zinfandel or “Arbor Mist”. 

Now I am not knocking White Zin.  Perhaps the first wine you ever tasted was a White Zin. You might even still like it. That’s fine. It’s a good drink, and a perfect “beginner’s version” of more serious wines.  If you like White Zin, by all means drink up.  I have been known to imbibe a White Zin from time to time, and millions of Americans can’t be wrong…it’s the country’s favorite wine.   However, it might be time to spread your wings a bit.  There is a wide, wide world of rosé waiting beyond White Zin.
 
I like to think of rosé wine as “red wine with its shirt off”.  Just as we like to shed our outer layer of clothes when the weather gets hot, rosé is red wine shed of its heavy tannin and dark colors.  To make a true Rose’, red grapes are fermented on their skins for a short period of time, say 12 hours to four days, before pressing the juice away from the skins. This results in a pink wine – the colors can be described as light salmon to dusty rose to cranberry – much less tannic than a red wine but still with powerful flavors.  Think of serious rosé as a lighter version of your favorite red--Merlot, Syrah, Grenache or Zinfandel – just perfect for the summer months.

The wines I refer to as “serious rosés” are dry, not sweet. Served chilled, they burst with summer-fresh fruit and refreshingly zingy acid. Serious Rose’ matches beautifully with food. Good rosé can match backyard burgers, Pizza, Pasta, Salads, and Seafood, and even has the gumption to be a perfect BBQ wine, no matter what you throw on the grill…Rosé can take them all on without breaking a sweat.

Apparently, Americans are finally getting the message. Rosé sales were up 45% last year, making it one of the hottest growth segments in wine. It seems we have a new generation of wine drinkers ready to embrace change.  We’ve raced through New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Aussie Shiraz and Spanish Garnacha, and now they’re ready for a new experience. A good, solid, dry Rosé fits the bill perfectly.

So remember…good Rosé is a serious wine. 
And yes, Real Men Drink Pink.

Even the roughest, toughest men on the planet…our own beloved Texas Men, can drink rosé.  Texas makes a slew of great rosés, and I have noticed that each year brings a new and better crop of pink wine to the lone star state.  Here are some of Miss Jane’s favorites:

Alamosa Wine Cellars Grenache Rose – This is Alamosa’s first true rosé (although their “Rosato di Sangiovese" could maybe be called a rosé).  Made from Grenache grapes, this wine is redolent of strawberries and vanilla.  This wine contains just a tiny tickle of sweetness, but it is so well balanced by the crisp acidity you can almost pretend its not there.  This is a great picnic, BBQ, or hot tub wine!

Becker Vineyards Provencal – This amazing wine is reminiscent of the renowned rosé wines of the South of France…now that’s a place that respects rosé!  Made from Grenache grapes with 2 days of skin contact, this light pink wine is crisp and delicate with floral aromas followed by pear and strawberry flavors. 

Driftwood Vineyards Dry Rosé – This crisp rose is made from Merlot.  Look for a buttery aromas followed by refreshing acidity and savory flavors of cherry, berry, and spice.  This wine won a silver medal at the San Francisco International Wine Tasting…good pedigree!

Fall Creek Vineyards White Zinfandel - If you have outdoor plans this summer, this is the wine for you!  Refreshingly cool and just a tease of sweet, this wine has aromas and flavors or cherry, berry, and smoke.  Breathe deeply and you may get a whiff of Zinfandel’s famous peppery aroma. 

Flat Creek Estate Primrosetti Seco – This delightful wine is White Zinfandel Incognito!!  Primitivo is the Italian name for Zinfandel (they think they invented it, and they probably did).  This wine is a dry rosé made from Zinfandel (a.k.a. Primitivo) grown in Flat Creek’s Helen’s Block Vineyard.  Look for wonderful flavors and aromas of cranberry, pomegranate, and strawberry from this picture-perfect pink wine.

Texas Hills Vineyard Cinque Vine Rosso – The name means “five red wines” and we have five grapes – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Ruby Cabernet, Sangiovese and Syrah – blended together in this dry rosé.  Look for aromas of blackberry, raspberry, and blueberry hovering over the tiniest hint of soft tannins, rounded up by a savory pepper lick to the finish.

For Rose' Lovers -

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