Hot Weather Wines Part 1: Roses

There is an elephant in the room.  It's hot.  What do we do?  Grab something cold and wet and refreshing, right?  And quick!

It's obvious, isn't it?  If we haven't done it already, we need to shift gears and turn away from the heavier reds and oak-aged whites and go to something lighter, cooler in temperature, and perhaps lower in alcohol, fruitier, and subjectively refreshing.  Does it have to be white?  Actually, no it doesn't and that opens the door for exploration into new adventures in wine appreciation.

Where to start.  First, let's acknowledge the parameters.  We have reds, whites, and roses as options and we have already ruled out heavier wines in general.  Let's also acknowledge our limitation in space in the blog, therefore in this segment we'll tackle the sleeper, roses.

We need to also acknowledge our deficiencies, guys.  There is a male-specific malady called Rosephobia which, without going into the Freudian implications, dictates that roses are girly wines and real men don't drink them.  Hogwash!  Insecure men don't drink roses.  And besides, they are the seasonally appropriate "light and refreshing" style and, surprise of surprises, they go with grilled foods!

Are we on the same page now?  Let's go down that page then.  Roses are either sweet or dry.  If you want a sweeter cocktail, choose White Zin or pink Moscato or another known quantity in that category.  If you want something before dinner or with salads, try a French Provence or Cotes de Provence Rose, a very light but dry example of type.  If you're having pasta or pizza, as always, grab an Italian.  Seafood in a sauce?  Italian.  Alone?  French.

So what if you really want a red but-she-who-must-be-obeyed wants something lighter.  Here is where it gets interesting.  You don't have to get into a white.  Have a Spanish, Chilean, or Argentine rose.  If you choose carefully for color, they're practically red wines anyway.  The finest roses in the world, by the way, are from Spain and you can pair them with any charred meat on the grill.

This Friday from 5 to 7pm we will be tasting new California wines from my favorite mega-wine company, DFV, tenth largest in the world, privately held, and not content to "phone it in" with regard to quality.  We need to also pour a rose that night also.  On Tuesday July 24th, importer Bob Durand and distributor Gail Avera of Allgood Wines will be here pouring tastes of the new Dogma line from Chile.  Please join us for both of these events.

New cheeses due in this week include Italian Piave Vecchio, the best cheese in the deli along with plenty of new crackers too.