Every year at about this time, ardent and passionate wine professionals shake their heads, lament and plot to see how they can make this year different than the last. The goal: see how many people they can convert to the wonders of Rosé wine.

For some reason, this town (both men AND women), like many other towns in the country, has yet to embrace the magic and versatility of Rosé. Whether thick and rich rose of Malbec or Shiraz, or classic and sublime rose of Rioja or Grenache, the wonders of the pink are endless.

Why is it that no one wants to imbibe this pretty little libation? Is it that the men think that pink automatically denotes the sickly sweet white zin on ice? (No offense to those who enjoy white zin -- see the introductory column if you don't believe me) Is it that red and white are hard enough to understand, now we throw in Rosé? What is it about the pink that makes it consistently under-purchased and under-consumed?

My goal for this column? Convince you the reader that this is the year to get excited about Rosé. The best of Rosés naturally possess the combined characteristics of red and white wine -- the body and fruit qualities of red, mixed with the acidity and vibrancy of whites. They have the capacity to thrill you in a dinner pairing, appease you after a long day at work and refresh you on a hot summer's day.

Rosé wines are made in two ways. The principal method is by allowing the must (pre-fermented grape juice) to be in contact with the skins for a small amount of time. This short "maceration" period allows the wine to pick up just a touch of color and a small amount of the character from the skins that a red wine might glean, while maintaining the light, bright acidity and vivacity of a white wine. This is accomplished usually through either removing the skins immediately or by letting the must run over the skins and out of the fermentation tank (called saignée -- which you will see on many Rosé labels).

The other, and less-common method of making pink wine is to ferment the white wine fully, and then add back a small amount of red wine after the wine is bottled. This method adds some color, but does next to nothing for character and quality. This method is utilized for less expensive wines like White Zinfandel and White Merlot.

Recently, I had an all Rosé tasting with a great Milwaukee wine personality, Jaime Boldt. Jamie works for local distributor General Beverage and provides restaurants and retailers with amazing wines from the GB portfolio. We tasted more than a dozen Rosés, some from General Beverage, the rest I picked up from two terrific retailers, Ray's Wine & Spirits, 8930 W. North Ave. in Wauwatosa and Thief Wine located in the Milwaukee Public Market Downtown -- both with fantastic Rosé selections.

The following are Rosés that I think you should really try this year. They represent amazing quality and character. The best part? With very few exceptions, Rosés are CHEAP. Most can be purchased for around $15 per bottle.

(Prices are approximate retail)

SOFT AND FRUITY

2008 Paul Jaboulet Parallel 45 Rhone Valley, France ($11.99) -- From famed negociant, Jaboulet, the '08 vintage contained a little higher percentage of Cinsault than in previous vintages. This gives a little more fun edge and character to a consistently great drinking product. Just a touch of cream on the mouth, a crowd pleaser without being flabby.

2008 Crios Rosé of Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina ($10.99) -- This fun little side project of powerhouse Malbec producer, Susana Balbo, is a nice example of quality South American Rosé. Even though the nose would make you swear you are about to drink a red, and even though it is made from Malbec -- a tenacious black fruit beast, this is a smooth and affable wine. Medium body and plenty of spice, but a smooth a refreshing finish with plenty of black cherry and strawberry.

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5 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by ozricale on May 27, 2009 at 11:19 a.m. (report)

Thank you for the great suggestions! My wife used to drink nothing but White Zin, but now that she is a red wine drinker she won't touch a Rose'! Maybe one of these will change her mind.

Posted by mitchgat on May 22, 2009 at 7:37 a.m. (report)

EXCELLENT article... my friends laugh when I talk about Rose. They think it's a "girlie" wine. They don't know what they're missing!

Posted by Crash on May 21, 2009 at 7:26 p.m. (report)

French Rose will change your mind! French Rose is dry and light unlike the sweet, fruity stuff elsewhere. Imagine a lighter pinot noir and you understand French rose. So, the origin of the rose is the major factor on its enjoyment...

Posted by RJ on May 21, 2009 at 6:06 p.m. (report)

I agree with Swami--This is a nice article. You dispel the misperceptions that people have of rose, and then present some good insight on different types and brands to try. Great stuff!

Posted by swami says on May 21, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. (report)

LOVE YOU! I wish more articles had content like this.