Wine & Spirits
Try a Flight of Rosés
By Rex Danegeld
W
ith summer around
the corner, it is perfect
weather for rosés.
Rosés fall into three categories:
The first category is rosés made
from pressing red fruit lightly to
extract the desired color. The second
category is saignée rosé, which is
made from bleed. Bleed is when
a winemaker removes the juice
before fermentation to increase
skin-to-juice ratio for greater color
extraction. A third way to make
rosé is by blending white wine with
a small portion of red to reach a
specific color and flavor profile.
The important thing in choosing
a rosé is the sweetness level are
you are looking for. Labeling of
table wines is up to the winery, and
although there are general industry
standards, they are not regulated in
the United States.
The best way to find the wine you
like is to sample them, and this is
the time of year when rosés are
released. Local wine shops and
tasting rooms are a great place to
start.
Another factor is how cold you like
your wine. The temperature affects
how the aromatics volatilize. If
wine is too cold it can be perceived
as being muted; too warm—
the perception can be a wine
volatilized. A good rule of thumb
for rosé is 45 degrees for fine rosé
and 41 degrees for economy bottles.
But, at the end of the day, personal
preference rules.
Vin Antico in San Rafael is pouring
rosé from around the world. Tasting
them is a great way to build your
palate.
Here’s a sampling of rosés:
L’Oliveto Rosé of Pinot Noir—
Russian River Valley
Verdad Rosé—Edna Valley
Angels & Cowboys Rosé—Sonoma
County
Inizi Hi-Jump Rosé—Mendocino
County
Ampelos Rosé—Santa Ynez Valley
Chateau Val Joanis Rosé—
Provence-Alpes-Cote D’Azur,
France
Damilano Vino Rosato—
Alba, Italy
Mont Gravet Vin De Pays D’OC
Rosé—Languedoc-Roussillon,
France
Mauritson Rosé—Rockpile,
Sonoma County
Uphold Rosé for Women—
Ryme Cellars, Healdsburg
And don’t forget to try rosé
with bubbles!
NV Val De Mer Brut Nature
Rosé—Bourgogne
Mousseaux, France
Roederer Estate Brut Rosé—
Anderson Valley
MARIN ARTS & CULTURE 39