The Dry Rosé Wine Revolution

Even Brad and Angelina are On-board:

When it was announced in February that the 2013 Chateau Miraval, a dry rosé wine, was sold out in an impressive 5 hours, I knew that the dry rosé revolution was in full swing. Chateau Miraval is a joint venture of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and the Famille Perrin in France’s Provence region. Their 2012 vintage was ranked #84 in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the Year, making it 2012’s “Best Rosé in the World.” Some of my wine industry fellow sommeliers have been noticing this dry rosé trend for the last 3 years. Brad Pitt, in an interview in Wine Spectator Magazine, says he’s enjoying being a “farmer” now.

Dry Rosé is this summer’s perfect wine –the “patio wine”, the “picnic wine”. You drink it poolside, seaside, on the terrace, and at a sidewalk café. The sought-after attributes are the flavors and aromas of red grape wines in a lighter body. This wine should be chilled to white wine temperatures. Picture an outdoor barbeque with grilled seafood and meats and this wine. This is not your neighbor’s blush, sweet White Zinfandel!

Rosés can come in a variety of colors: from the palest pink to an orange-pink color. Flavors vary from dried red berries, white flowers, wild strawberries, and citrus to spice and herbs. Dry rosé can made from a variety of grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Merlot, Cinsault, Italian varietals (where it is can be called Rosato) like Sangiovese, and Spanish/Portuguese varietals (Rosado). There are several ways to make a rosé wine. In the most common process (Saignée process) the red grape skins are left in contact with the juice from the pulp (maceration) until the desired pink color is achieved. The color comes from the skins. The winemaker then presses the juice off the skins (bleed-off) and the juice is fermented.

What other wine regions offer a fine dry rosé? We did an unscientific tasting of several dry rosés. Our panel included men and women who prefer to drink both rosés in the summer and red wines in the winter….All were PRiME women and men. I challenge you to become a dry rosé enthusiast.

Here are our top rankings:

Miraval Rosé 2013 – Brad and Angelina’s Provence rosé can be found at some retailers who bought during the first five hours of availability. The notes of herbs, citrus and wet stone, enhance raspberry and wild strawberry flavors. $24.99

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