Thursday, June 25, 2009

We Heart Rosé


Rosé wines are among my personal favorites, winter and especially summer. I prefer my red wines a little on the cool side anyway, so a full-bodied rosé wine is, to me, the perfect compromise between white and red in the warmer months. Yet despite my personal preferences, I have historically found all rosé wines to be a very, very hard sell among our wine drinking customers. Except for a few, most have eschewed the pink stuff, and forced me to be fairly alone in the consumption of our annual case or two. Until this year.

I don't know what has happened - more publicity, better wines or what - but this season so far we have gone through over three cases of several rosés and are well into the next two, with more on deck. I couldn't be happier to have my habit supported by our wine drinking community and I promise to keep them coming.

The Washington Post has done it's share to promote rosés. The past two dining sections have included wine columns discussing these seasonal - for most people - wines of summer. The first focused on "old world" selections; this week the columnist wrote about wines from the so-called "new world", including California, Chile and Virginia. And his first choice? None other than the rosé we just included on our wine list last week - the Alexander Valley Rosé of Sangiovese from Sonoma. And it is delicious. But we enjoyed as well the Crios Rosé of Malbec, which Robert Parker included in his weekly Wine Buys column a few weeks back, giving it a score of 90. The first rosé of this summer was my favorite so far, in very limited (gone) supply - the Soter Rosé of Pinot Noir. Now that was a terrific bottle to start the season with - I know, because Kevin and I drank the last bottle with the first meal of the summer on our porch a few weeks ago!

Finally, it appears rosé has been welcomed on board. Thank you!

Funny story to end with - week before last, while we were still serving the Crios on our wine list, (although I had bought a case of the Alexander Valley from Bacchus, after tasting it with the salesperson, Kazie) a couple came into the bar, and when I asked them what did they want, the woman said "I'll have a glass of the Alexander Valley rosé". I just stood there and thought, wait a minute, I do have that wine but it's not even out of the box yet...turns out she was the North East Rep for the Alexander Valley Vineyards, in town for a family event, and knew from Kazie that we had bought a case. They ended up with the Crios, but she must be pretty happy with that listing in the Post this week, eh? (Of course I cannot locate her card on my (messy) desk, but when I do I will give her full credit!)



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