Drink Pink

On a warm sunny day, there are few wines more refreshing than a glass of rosé. Rosés are known for their strawberry and raspberry aromas and flavors, as well as their versatility for any occasion: brunch, picnics, appetizers, BBQs and even fancy dinner parties. They are served chilled, making them a great accompaniment to a variety of warm weather fare. Rosé tends to have a light body and delicate flavors, making it a great picnic wine with chicken or roast beef sandwiches and potato salad.

The majority of rosé wines are made from a red grape varietal. A rosé is a wine that incorporates color from the grape skins, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine. There are several ways to produce rosé wine: skin contact, saignée (Sonyay) and blending. Rosé wines can have a wide range of sweetness levels from bone-dry Provencal rosé to sweeter flavors and blushes. The shorter the contact time with the skins, the lighter the wine's color will be. Extended time with juice and skins yields color variations from vibrant orange-y pink to a hot pink. Sparkling rosés are traditionally made with a blend of red and white grapes. Draining off some of the juice from a red wine during its very early stages of fermentation, then placing it into a fermenter and finishing the process is called saignee ("to bleed") and it also nicely concentrates the original red wine.

Some of the best barbeques include BBQ ribs and chicken accompanied with a cold glass of dry rosé.