Summer's chic chick drink is pink - ros�

by Sarah J. Gim, Posted Aug 7th 2006 @ 1:30PM

rose wines Rosé wines, the ones that are pink, have long been the object of a bit of snickering amongst oenophiles. They've been labeled as too sweet and too cheap, but in recent years, rosés have improved in quality. They are being embraced not only by wine connoisseurs, but when once "club-hopping hipsters and tastemakers" were sipping Prosecco and Cosmopolitans, now it's rosé.

In the past, rosé was often made with grapes harvested for other wines and doesn't age, making it less credible than reds and whites and hard to take seriously. However, wineries around the world have begun to harvest rosé-specific grapes. Needless to say, rosé quality has improved.

Who's been seen drinking the pink? Alex Kapranos, the lead singer of the rock band Franz Ferdinand, Pamela Anderson, and the MisShapes, a group of three influential Manhattan party promoters and DJs in New York.

If you want to try, here are a few suggestions:

Domaines Ott is the most recognizable brand of rosé and the top seller around New York's restaurant and club scene. The trendsetting rose was bought by Champagne Louis Roederer, the maker of Cristal Champagne, two years ago. However, it is rather expensive, ringing in at about twice the price of most rosés.
Castello di Ama from Tuscany sells for about $15.
Muga from Spain, which is about $11.
Sofia Rosé is a wine from Francis Coppola's vineyard named for Sofia Coppola. (Though we're not so sure about that sparkling wine in a can.)

Just note that, according to some, "The rule is it's pretty much rosé exclusively all summer until the end of the season, around late September. By then we're all so rosé logged that we're happy to dry out for a while."

Source

Filed Under: Trends, Drink Recipes, New Products
Tags: america, cosmopolitan, cosmopolitans, cristal, domaines ott, drink, drinking, drinks, east coast, europe, food and wine, france, italy, louis roederer, muga, niebaum-coppola, pink wine, prosecco, rose, rose wine, sophia, sophia coppola, west coast, wine, wines

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

8-07-2006 @8:37PM Powerharp said... Been drinking dry rose for years. French, Italian and Spanish dry rose can be spectacular. Wonderful with fish, pork and chicken....salads, veggies....

Go beyond the specific wines suggested by this article.

Generally a super value.

Peace.
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8-07-2006 @9:10PM Norma Gaynor said... I have been drinking rose wine for many years. It is not sweet. Had a hard time getting restaurants to stock it, but my favorite place does. Not being a wine fanatic, my choice is Paul Maisson Rose.
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8-07-2006 @9:27PM Lynnie said... Many years ago my favorite wine was a rose from Beaulieu Vineyards. I believe the name was Beaurose or something similar. Think it was drier than most White Zinfandels that I have tried recently. Now I prefer a Merlot, Cabernet or dry white but perhaps I will try to search out the old rose and try it again if it is still available. It did go with pretty much everything.
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8-07-2006 @9:33PM cindy chamblee said... Dry rose is nothing new! It was just overshadowed here in the U.S. since the eighties by the sweet run-off products that got so popular. France and Spain have been making Grenache rose and many others for a long time.
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8-07-2006 @10:00PM Richard F. said... Matuese Rose from Portugal was very Popular during the Disco Club Era. It is still available and makes a great Rose Spritzer !
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8-07-2006 @10:12PM Lorrie said... I actually had a Rose by Bell Vinyards. It was good and went well with roast chicken. This wine is great for people who like reds, but want something lighter with complexity for the warmer months.
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8-07-2006 @10:41PM ed schwartz said...

There are two roses that I can recommend. One is Pink Umbrella, a rose of Pinot Grigio. The other Grey Rose Pinot Pinot!--mostly Pinot Grigio with some good Russian River Pinot Noir to give a little extra depth.
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8-07-2006 @11:02PM melissa said... have always enjoyed rose. my theory is enjoy the wine you like, not what someone says you should like. recently had a rose by Vendage. great for summer with all sorts of fare.
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8-07-2006 @11:06PM Susie said... I just bought Sofia in the can. It was great, what a fun idea!!
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8-07-2006 @11:51PM George Carter said... I was introduced to pink wine at Mills Winery in Sacramento in 1960. It was so great, we started buying it by the gallon. I would guess the Winery is gone, but it was great while it lasted.
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8-08-2006 @12:00AM jenniferstewart said... i hate pink i hate fruity pink girlie drinks i want a straight whisky and coffe or jack and coffe or just jack
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8-08-2006 @12:06AM joannie said... I like both the sweet Roses and the dry. They aer a great change in the summertime, with BBQ and other spicy foods. Try Falecso Vitiano, tastes like strawberry, but not Boones Farm.
Rose of Syrah or merlot is very refreshing.
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8-08-2006 @12:56AM JC said... Rosés seem to becoming more and more trendy, and yet they ultimately appeal to those that wouldn’t normally drink wine. A red wine enthusiast, I’m content with drinking red wine all summer long with the occasional whites, Riesling (if I’m in the mood for something sweet), cab Blanc or pinot grigio: whites aren’t my favorite by there are certainly finely constructed whites spawning from, mainly, California).

Most Rosés still come off as an utter sham and appeal simply to those that wouldn’t normally go out an order wine with dinner. Of course I mean no disrespect to people that enjoy Rosés, but the quality in production hasn’t improved as much as the article lets on (a simple taste test will reveal such). I don’t care what Pamela Anderson drinks, Rosés have always been a summer choice among those looking for a “nice drink” rather than a wine.
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8-08-2006 @12:58AM Rolf Ingen said... Wine is made from RIPE grapes that are a naturally sweet fruit , some sugar is lost in the fermentation
process.. but in the end there should be a touch of sweetness left ..I can`t understand The American pre-occupation with DRY wines .. They taste like they are only good for cooking

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8-08-2006 @5:45PM JC said... Rolf, Americans have a preoccupation for dry wines? Perhaps, but I would say that most wine producing countries follow if not dominant that preoccupation. Many wine producing countries have a strong liking to dry reds, most notably France and Italy where many fine dry reds come from. A simple tour of Parisian red wine boutiques would reveal such an interest. The U.S. is not unique in this, and in fact I’d venture to say in the U.S. “sweet” wines (as you call them), are far more preferable than in other countries. Historically speaking a dry red table wine is generally regarded in higher favor than sweeter wines, be that an accurate assumption to make or not.
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8-08-2006 @6:19PM James Thomson said... Dry or not so dry - I find Rose a refreshing change for summer - but Jennifer in comment 11. above gets my vote for the most refreshing comment to this post. Rock on Jen!
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