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SouthwestBlend.com presents In Praise of Pink by Michael Shelhamer. |
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Pink wines, that is. Sometimes it seems like everyone who drinks wine, including myself all too often, has a two-track mind when it comes to wine: red or white? It’s a question I tend to automatically ask whenever a new customer ventures into the shop with only a vague idea of what they might want to buy for themselves or a friend/spouse, etc. It’s a logical starting point – do you (or they) prefer reds or whites? But it completely leaves off the table another great alternative, one that I truly believe most people would really enjoy if they would just give it a chance – pink wine! But oceans of white zinfandel are consumed in this country, you say, so what’s the big deal? It’s pink, and lots of people love it. Well, I’m not here to trash white zin, or even white merlot, a more recent spin-off – they certainly have their fans. But white zinfandel and similar “blush” wines have unfortunately come to define all pink wines in the minds of the great majority of American wine drinkers – cloyingly sweet with very simple flavors; not far removed from soda pop. As a result, wine drinkers who prefer drier, more complex reds or whites usually dismiss all pink wines as sweet, simple, uninspired and generally to be avoided at all costs. They couldn’t be more wrong. In other wine-making and consuming countries, such as France, Spain, Italy and Greece, there’s a long and honorable tradition of pink, or rosé, wines. These wines pre-date white zinfandel by many generations, and seldom bear much resemblance to it in terms of taste or style. Most Old World rosés are made relatively dry – not bone dry, but a lot drier in style than the sweet pink wines most people have become familiar with here in the U.S. They’re crisply refreshing, brisk and zesty, usually with just a pleasant hint of sweetness. Along with that, they often possess a surprising degree of flavor complexity. This makes them a pleasure to sip on their own, and a beautiful match with a wide variety of foods. The good news is that some excellent rosés are now being produced right here in the good old USA. They're being made from high-quality grapes like Syrah, Grenache, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir, either as single varietals or blends, and they 're crafted by skilled winemakers who appreciate both the great heritage of rosé wines and the sheer pleasure they can be to drink. Look for California wines like Pedroncelli’s Zinfandel Rosé, Bonny Doon’s Vin Gris de Cigaré, Zaca Mesa’s “Z” Gris, or McDowell’s Grenache Rosé, all excellent examples of drier-styled, highly flavorful rosés. If you can find it, Badger Mountain’s Rosé of Cabernet Franc is a wonderful, slightly sweet but very refreshing pink wine from Washington’s Columbia Valley region. All of these usually retail for under $10. Lots of good imported rosés are also available at very reasonable prices, such as those from the Rhone Valley, Provence and Languedoc regions of France, or from Penedés and Navarra in Spain. Even the South Africans have gotten into the act, with their very enjoyable “Goats do Roam” Rosé. The point is, if you’re willing to stray from the beaten path just a bit and try some wines of the pink persuasion for a change, you could be in for a very pleasant surprise this summer. This stuff is good!
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In
Praise of Pink
by Michael Shelhamer 
Resource
Guide