It is finally that time of year to grab a few bottles of rosé, sit on the patio and watch the world go by. Crisp and refreshing, rosé is great to drink by itself after cutting the grass and also pairs well with food. It can be made from any red grape in a variety of styles.

Rosé can be made in two different ways

Limited skin contact

These grapes are picked specifically to make rosé. They are picked earlier to preserve acidity and are not as ripe as those picked for red wine. These wines will see very limited skin contact, only hours versus a few weeks for red wine, resulting in a paler color depending on the grape. Another method is to bleed off some juice during red wine production early on in the process and bottle that juice as rosé.

Blending

Blending red and white wine to make rosé is generally considered an inferior process throughout most of Europe but is the preferred method for the most expensive rosé on the planet: Champagne. The winemaker will blend amounts of red and white wine to get the desired color.

My house rosés

Forty Ounce Rosé

My house rosé year in and year out. A truly quality-minded approach that has resulted in wines of complexity, texture and balance. It is packaged in a 1-liter bottle and conveniently comes with a screw cap. Easy to open and easier to drink, wrap it in a small brown paper bag for added effect. Pick it up for about $17.

Bodegas Latue Tempranillo Rosado

From La Mancha, Spain will pair with anything you throw at it. A typical color of red currant with a prominent intensity, clean and bright. It has fresh aromas of raspberry with hints of rose petals. In the mouth, it is elegant and has a velvety character with a very long finish and prolonged hues of red fruit. Don’t let the dark color fool you. It still has a light freshness that will keep you coming back for more. Pick it up for under $13.

Undurraga Brut Rosé

From Chile over delivers for the price! Light pink with tiny and persistent bubbles. Fruity (cherry) and floral (roses), delicate aroma. Fresh and dry with a juicy sensation. This is a steal at $11 for all estate fruit and can enjoy every day without breaking the bank!

Wine images courtesy of Pixabay, Forty Ounce Wines, Latue, and Wine.com

Adam Arlen: “I am passionate about wine because it is history in a bottle.” He is the sommelier for The Peninsula Club in Cornelius, NC. Originally from Allentown, PA, he believes you should always branch out and find new things. His goal is to never stop learning and continuing to grow both personally and professionally. A fun fact about him: “I was a nuclear engineer on a submarine in a previous life.”

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