Rosé Ain’t Basic, B*
Titles are tough. Especially when you’re sneaking a bottle of rosé into a movie theater. Look, no one should pay concession prices, there’s no concession about it. Though, here’s a confession for your consideration: forget everything you know about rosé, including its fun summer derivative, frosé.
When it comes to rosé, the term gets slung as easily as a glass goes down on a sweltering summer day. It’s time to address the pink elephant in the room and reclaim rosé. It’s not as basic as you might think, so let’s talk about its complexity. Its different styles. One thing everyone’s got right is that rosé is, in fact, highly gulpable.
Rosé may be some of the earliest wine ever drunk because of the straightforward nature of making it. A quick primer on the color of wine and its categories:
Red — red grapes macerate (press & soak) with skins left on for a longer period
White — usually white (but sometimes red) grapes with minimal skin contact
Rosé — red or white grapes macerate with skins left on for a shorter period
Orange/Amber — white grapes macerate with skins left on for a longer period
So rosé, in one way, is really just “red wine lite.” The juice is separated from the skins before it becomes too dark. Of course, it's a bit more complicated than that, but I’m not here to write the script for Somm 4.
First off, there is some truth to its basic reputation. When rosé was first introduced to the American public, bottles at more attractive price points were introduced. Generally, wine that is mass-produced is of a lower quality. When you see wine that’s at a higher price point (above $25 or so), you’re usually paying for either fancy packaging or craft (hopefully both).
After a bit of research on the producer, you quickly see you’re paying for the gold-plated holographic label or a family-run operation. They may dedicate more time to growing and use less automated processes. When you spend $25-$40/bottle, you are supporting craftspeople—people who are making wine as a labor of love.
As the consumption of rosé increased year over year in the states, more and more producers entered the marketplace, and thus more styles and representations of rosé became available to us. So, rosé ain’t basic… anymore.
Here are a few different styles and bottles that I’m digging right now:
New World
Style #1: Peachy & Peppery
Name: Rosato
Producer (maker): Channing Daughters
Appellation (geographical indication): Long Island, NY
Price point (dolla dolla bill y’all): $17
Varietal (grape): 100% Cabernet Franc
Vintage (year grown & harvested): 2020
Color (you know like a crayon): Pale pink, a light bronzing, the color of 80% of the jewelry from Forever 21, light-catching a sepia-tone elixir
Bouquet/Aroma (fragrance & smell): Almost non-existent, very subtle roses and lemon rind.
Tasting notes (flavors & feels): Bone-dry. Disarming, at first, then exploding into a charismatic sweetness, balanced with a near-perfect level of tartness. Blossoms into your taste buds with every sip. Light carbonation, not overwhelming. A welcome flurry on the lips (like the pre-kiss breath of Ben Affleck). Hints of freshly squeezed lime juice at first and then as it opens up, tastes more and more like Georgia peaches. Overall: date night with yourself or person of interest, drips of sensual energy, but don’t feel bad disappearing this on your own. Liquid magic.
The Basic B’s Rating: 93 points
Style #2: Delicate & Fruity
Name: Love Rosé
Producer: Broc Cellars
Appellation: North Coast, CA (Redwood Coast)
Price point: $22
Varietal: Blend of 85% Valdiguié | 14% Zinfandel | 1% Trousseau
Vintage: 2020
Color: Watermelon-coral pink
Bouquet/Aroma: The bouquet is a booze-soaked watermelon. Also, cut rose stems and orange citrus in the nose.
Tasting notes: Dry and mineral notes blend nicely with the watermelon-pucker medium acidity. Not too overpowering, this hits multiple savory notes. I especially like its echo of freshly-plucked dark cherries on the endnote.
The Basic B’s Rating: 94 points
Old World
Style #3: Fruity & Lean (Provence style)
Name: Pigoudet Première
Producer: Château Pigoudet
Appellation: Provence (South of France)
Price point: $15 - $19
Varietal: Blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Cabernet-Sauvignon, and Syrah
Vintage: 2019
Color: Light salmon
Bouquet/Aroma: Light and refreshing. Much more of an expressive bouquet that gives off a floral freshness. White peach, lychee, and citrus.
Tasting notes: Slight salinity and crispness combine with fruit-forward notes of melon and stone fruit. Provence-style wine has sort of become the rosé everyone's got accustomed to (graduating from the collegiate days of Zinfandel rosé into something more classic). People can say they drink wine from the south of France, which I guess? holds some cachet (let’s be honest, eh). But I will say this bottle is bomb. And when you find a producer that’s trying to marry tradition and modernity for the better and didn’t just come from a film shoot of Mr & Mrs. Smith (née Brangelina used to have joint custody of a Provence-style rosé), it’s not such a bad bet.
The Basic B’s Rating: 91 points
So you see, rosé ain’t so basic, b. Three different processes, producers, shades of pink, and tasting notes from the West Coast and East Coast of America and France. Rosé is also made in Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, and other parts of the USA, like Virginia and Oregon. Too many regions to get into here, but that alone tells you how each imparts its own terroir (notes representative of their landscapes and geographies) along with the vintner’s own unique craft of winemaking.
All this to say, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a bit of frosé in 110°F end-times like these, but if it really is end-times, wouldn’t you rather go out in style with a glass that shades itself in the pink of the inside of a conch shell and puts Brangelina to waste?
Chaser:
Here’s a pro-tip. The more millennial-sounding the branding, the more likely they’re pulling a fast one on you. Instead of buying the latest instagram influencer’s rosé named, “White Girl Summer” (turns out to be a brown boy bummer), opt for a plain label or a classic Provence rosé and make your own summer in a glass. Rosés are so versatile they can be used to build cocktails for some out-of-the-box refreshments. Here’s a simple one: 1 part rosé, 1 part elderflower liqueur. And another: slices of strawberry, fresh lemon juice and wedge, garnish with mint and top with club soda. Done. Now go be a basic b.
*B is for boy
