The World Through Rose’ Colored Glasses

If you’re a fan of Rose’ then good for you, you understand that one of the true delights of the summer is the refreshment provided by a glass of cold, dry Rose’. Unfortunately, Rose’ can be a victim of mistaken identity.  Some people see that pink color and run screaming, perhaps driven by a memory of some sickeningly sweet wine drunk in their younger days.  If you’re one of those in the camp that see pink wine and want to gag then you’re missing out.  Rose’ truly is one of the most delightful wines for the summer time and when you consider a couple of things about Rose it helps ease your concerns about Pink wine:

• A good Dry Rose has NO AFFILIATION with that abomination of wine known as White Zinfandel.
• Good Dry Rose is DRY; It has no added sugar.
• Good Dry Rose is made from RED GRAPES.  The juice from the freshly pressed grapes stay fermenting with the skins of the red grapes for a brief period and that is how the wine gets its color.

So, even though you feel right now as though the summer will never end in fact it will (it does every year) and that clock is ticking loudly on the opportunity to enjoy rose’ at its finest moment.  We’ve just reloaded with a mid-Summer load of a trio of BONE DRY rose from Robert Kacher Selections for fans of the wine to quaff down this summer.

2008 Domaine Sainte Eugénie Rose $9.99 (Jon’s pick!)
It is dry, refreshing and just about perfect for Southern Louisiana in July. Say it with us: “Dry Rose is good, Dry Rose is good…” For those of you who do not know Domaine Sainte-Eugenie, this is the property owned by a Burgundian with a Spaniard-come-Burgundian winemaker in the rustic area of Corbieres (their “Les Clos” was our best selling wine last month).  They know a wine’s place is on the dinner table, not the wine critic’s desk, and as such all of their wines have fresh, clean pretty aroma and texture. Their wines are all well made, they all show wonderful fruit, nice balance and this refreshing DRY rose made primarily from Cinsault, which makes for great texture and aromatics (a little Grenache and Syrah find their way in there too).  This wine is just what the Doctor ordered when the sun starts to set on a sweltering day down here. High on the slugabilty scale, this is also a wine that sits quite nicely on a dinner table with lighter summer food. We couldn’t keep it in the store last year and there should definitely be some in your fridge this month.

2008 Domaine Des Sources Rosé de Fayel $11.99
A VERY unique wine considering its location.  Domaine des Sources is located southeast of the city of Nîmes on the western edge of the Rhône Valley. Nîmes has a warm climate that produces wines noted for their ripe fruit and rich texture and is the last untapped region for quality wine production in southern France. Domaine des Sources’ excellent location and cailloux-based soils (similar to Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s) create a spectacular environment for grape growing.  This wine is a blend of 65% Cabernet Franc (highly unusual for this region), 30% Syrah and 5% Grenache and it just has a ton of beautiful high toned cherry notes and mineral. This wine is very focused and racy with bright acidity and a VERY unique style of Rhône Rose’.

2008 Mas de Guiot Rose $9.99
We’ve gotten in some more of our best selling Rose’ in the store so far this summer.  Also grown in the Nimes, this wine is a blend of Syrah and Grenache and plays off more like a refreshing red wine that it does a Rose.  Rich, full body with really nice strawberry and cherry aromas, this is a no-brainer Rose and the most “Rhone”ish wine of the trio.  This one is the real deal.

Popularity: 12% [?]