|
|
 |
Wine
Reviews: Are you man enough to drink a pink wine?
by: Vino Joe (e-mail)
| Pg 1 of
1 |
 |
Pink or rosé (row-ZAY) wines have received a bad rap due to the sugary sweet pink jug wines and a beverage called white zinfandel. As a result it's difficult to get even the most knowledgeable wine geeks to take a pink wine seriously. Never mind the difficulty for a homophobe to be seen purchasing a bottle of rosé.
If you are comfortable enough with your manhood to slam a pink bottle on the counter and plunk down your dough, you will be pleasantly surprised to find that many rosé wines are remarkably good values and just the ticket for fighting the summertime heat.
Wines become pink one of two ways. One way is to blend white wine and red wine before bottling. The second way is to press red grapes very gently, and remove the juice from the crushed grapes quickly, so that only a very pale liquid is extracted (red wine gets its color from the grapeskins; the color darkens according to how hard the grapes are squeezed and the length of time the resulting juice is allowed to stay in contact with the skins). There is no significant difference between the two methods; it is completely up to the winemaker and how he/she chooses to make a pink wine.
Generally speaking, a rosé should be chilled. Though a cheap pink wine will be fine ice cold, one of decent quality only needs about a half hour in the fridge. Over-chilling will block many aromas and flavors…or mask a wine's flaws.
In Vino Joe's humble opinion, the best pink wines come from two regions: southern France and Spain. (Okay, I'll add one more region: Champagne. Nothing beats a quality pink bubbly.) These rosé wines vary in color from a deep orange/salmon to pale red/deep pink. Despite what you've experienced from Sutter Home, a quality pink wine will be bone dry, and have a nice dose of acidity that allows it to match well with a variety of foods. Are you a fence-sitter? Can't decide whether to pick up a white or a red? Then a rosé is the ideal choice. You get the light, crisp fruitiness of a white wine as well as the mild tannins and complexity of a red.
 One pink wine I particularly enjoy and recommend is Vega Sindoa rosé wine, which hails from Navarro, Spain. Bright, deep pink in color -- it looks like watermelon in a glass -- the wine has pleasantly fresh strawberry and raspberry aromas. Clean, fresh strawberry and red berry fruits are on the palate, with a mild acidity that balances well with the fruit and provides enough pucker for matching with gamey, oily fish such as salmon, as well as most white meats (such as simply prepared veal, pork and chicken). The wine's finish is enjoyably clean and full of fruit. This is a wine that tastes more fruity than it smells, and has a very rich flavor when compared to other rosés.
The wine's label properly screams "summer," as this is a delicious and refreshing beverage for the hot weather. A definite crowd-pleaser, you will be the hit of the party if you bring it to a barbecue or other summer gathering -- and at around seven bucks a bottle, it won't hurt your wallet.
Send any questions, comments or wine stories to
vinojoe@bullz-eye.com.
For even more info on wine, visit our Vices
Web Guide!
|
|
|
|
-
-
-
-
|
|
|
© 2000-2005 Bullz-Eye.com®, All Rights Reserved. Contact the
with
questions or comments.
and
Site Map
|
|
