Bring a Chill to the Grill

Summer is in full swing and the opportunity to enjoy rosé wines is at its peak. During the warmer months, unfussy rosés are bursting with red fruit flavors and pair with a variety of foods especially foods from the grill. If I had to choose but one summer wine to accompany a variety of lighter grilled foods, I know what I’d choose in a heartbeat. I’m happy to chill out and grill out with a glass of cold rosé.

Here’s a primer to get you into top rosé shape.

Rosé 101
Rosé wines are made from red wine grapes fermented just a short time with their skins. Colors range from light salmon to bright pink to medium-deep rose. The length of time the juice is in contact with the crushed skins determines not only the final color of the wine, but to a certain extent the amount of tannin extracted from the skins and seeds as well.

A Rosé By Any Other Name…
Rosé spans the style spectrum. Because rosé refers to the color of the wine, as opposed to a specific grape variety, the wine can be made from a variety of red grapes and their blends, including Mourvédre, Sangiovese, Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. With the variety of grapes used to make rosé, the character of the wine ranges from light and fruity to medium bodied with hints of tannin. Try rosé wines from California or Italy, but especially from Spain or from Provence, France.

Food Pairings
Rosés are wonderful food wines and are especially suited to dishes featuring bold Mediterranean flavors. These pink beauties can pair with a wide variety of foods depending on the varietal and style of the wine; fruit-forward wines with an impression of sweetness can be paired with foods that would also go with dry Rieslings, Gewurztraminer or Pinot Gris, and the more light to medium bodied wines pair better with foods with an affinity for light reds.

Rosés are becoming more popular as people discover the joys of drinking pink.