Hey Cola, Jess here. 👋 Tomorrow is National Rosé Day and I am here to share the ins and outs of the pink deliciousness that we love to sip and share over summer with our friends. Let’s grab a glass + get started. 🥂
DYK - That rosé is the fastest growing wine category in recent years. However, we can just call it the latest trend since there is evidence that the earliest wines were actually pink.
What is rosé? Why is it pink?
Unlike white grapes that become white wine + red grapes that become red wine, pink grapes technically don’t exist. So you might be wondering, how do winemakers create this style of wine that features the various shades of pink?
The secret is skin contact. When winemakers are juicing grapes, no matter their color, the juice that runs out of the fruit is clear. Wines develop their color from the time the juice is in contact with the skin of the grapes. This process is known as maceration.
To create a rosé wine, you juice red grapes and then soak the skins for a very short period, usually only two to three days, whereas red wine can soak for up to 100 days.
So, are you ready to drink pink? Here are a few local spots where you can.
If the heat is getting to be too much, cool down with a frosé at Hendrix.
Perhaps your palate is craving something a little stiffer, sip on the Ramble on Rosé from Terra.
Market on Main has a private label option right in downtown.
Sip what the locals sip. Here is what a few locals recommend to try:
“I have a lot of favorite rosés but, right now I have been drinking the Pico Maccario Lavignone Rosato. It is a dry Italian rosé from the Piedmont region. It is an extremely light pink almost peach colored wine made with the Barbera grape. A perfect wine for hot weather and the light salads and pastas we tend to eat in the summer. You get hints of strawberry and cranberry along with some refreshing acidity making it really light on its feet. Delicious!”
- Bryan Della Volpe
Wine & Cigar Manager, The Gourmet Shop
“It’s a mind-blower! Pete Mata 100% Trepat Organic Pale Rosé Cava 2017 From 35 year old vines and all work is done by hand. It’s absolutely amazing, unusual, and so much fun to drink. When we posted it online a few weeks ago we had a few cases to sell. In less than 48 hours we sold 17 cases, with many being reorders.”
- Tim Gardner
Sommelier + Proprietor, Lula Drake
“One of my favorites that we have on the list at Saluda’s is Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé. It’s a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that is light and refreshing but also very refined and structured. Drinking a bottle on our balcony at Saluda’s and looking out over Five Points always brings me back to my visits to the winery, which is in a chateau on a hilltop overlooking the vineyards of Carneros.”
- Steve Cook
Saluda’s
“Try the Provencal Rosé from the town of Var. It’s my favorite because it has old grapes you’ve never heard of. It is the best example of all the reasons to drink a rosé. Aroma, color, flavor and finish are perfect. AND it can age a couple of years if you want to see how rosés can get better with time.”
- Doug Aylard
The Vino Garage
“My current favorite rosé selection is Mirabeau classic 2019 Côtes de Provence with grape varieties: 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 15% Cinsault. This rosé is a perfect balance of sharp acidity, sweet summer citrus and lavish aromas. On the nose is a hint of lemon and strawberry followed with a light body of sweet acidic raspberry and redcurrant.”
- Jake Smith
Tazza
Not that we are the experts, but my favorite rosé pick would be Chateau Miraval “Cotes de Provence + Lauren says if it has bubbles she’s in.
