8 years ago

Must-try: Rosé

Wondering what all the fuss is about rosé wine? Rodney Brown, manager of Wines & Spirits at our Ridgedale store, has all the details on rosé, the wine that’s sure to be on everyone’s table this season.

There are two categories of wine that are often overlooked by consumers. The first is Riesling, the second is rosé.

The topic of this blog is rosé.

I have had numerous customers over the years recant how the first rosé they were exposed to was an inexpensive bottle of Mateus or Lancers. It was probably served to them by their favorite aunt or grandmother. A lot of those customers never touched rosé again for many, many years.

Rosé as a category grew by roughly 24 percent last year. That is phenomenal growth for any singular wine type. What is fueling the rapid rise in rosé consumption? Consumers are discovering how wonderfully versatile and tasty these little gems can be.

Rosé is typically a dry style of wine that is made from any red grape varietal. This includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Pinot Noir and many more. Almost every wine-producing area makes some type of rosé. It is a beautiful pink color that can vary from the lightest salmon hue to a very rich almost garnet red. I often describe rosé as red wine that hasn’t quite grown up yet. The taste profile can range from very austere and bone dry to a full-bodied, very hearty style. Rosé is best served chilled.

Here are the tasting notes from one of my all time favorites, Entre Nous Rosé of Cabernet from Napa, California:

“Crisp aromas of peaches and citrus on the nose give way to the intense freshness of pomelo, lemon zest, orange peel and notes of crushed rock on the palate. This wine’s refreshing acid and supple texture meld with the barest hint of new French oak, carrying the wine to a crisp, clean, and delicate finish.”

Reading that again makes my mouth water!

Visit one of our Wines & Spirits locations and our wine experts will help you find the perfect rosé for you.