In This Issue• Think pink for spring |
Think pink for spring
There's something about warmer weather than makes a glass of crisp, dry rosé wine seem just right.
Some wine enthusiasts are wary about rosé because they've been disappointed by mass-market "blush" wines, which tend to be soft, sweet and one-dimensional.
But a true dry rosé is another shade of pink entirely - crisp and fresh and very food-friendly - and well worth getting to know if you haven't already been introduced.
Serious rosé wine is made from red grapes in a process that involves removing the grape skins (which impart the color) from the mix before they have bled more than a pretty pink color into the fermenting juice. The result is more akin to a white wine than a red; and like a white, rosé is customarily served refreshingly cold.
Dry rosé is made in just about every wine-producing region, Old World and New, but its roots are arguably in France. Today's tasting comes from the Southern Rhône, and like the region's red wines, is likely made from a blend of grapes that includes plenty of Grenache for its ripe, berrylike aromas and flavors.
Le Pavillon du Château Beauchêne 2006 Côtes du Rhône Rosé ($9.99)
Transparent reddish-pink, a true rose color. Ripe red-berry fruit and a whiff of fresh herbs on the nose. Crisp and dry, fresh strawberry flavor consistent with the nose, well structured by tart, quenching acidity. U.S. importer: Wine Adventures Inc., West Des Moines, Iowa. (April 24, 2008)
FOOD MATCH: Dry rosé works with a range of fare, from dinner salads to juicy burgers. It made an excellent match with Greek chicken baked in yogurt sauce.
VALUE: Excellent value at $10.
WHEN TO DRINK: With very few exceptions, rosé is best drunk up young and fresh.
WEB LINKS: The winery Website is available in French and English. Click "English Version" or "Entrer dans le site" from the home page,
http://www.chateaubeauchene.fr
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and check prices for the wines of Le Pavillon du Château Beauchêne on Wine-Searcher.com:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/
find/Beauchene/-/-/-/USD/A?referring_site=WLP
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2008/04/think_pink_for_spring-print.html
