Anthony Verdoni Says:

Sorry Getrude, but all rosé wines are not created equal, nor do they have a single essence. There are, however, striking commonalities. Salvador Dali rightly called them Wines of Dawn. They reflect sunlight on a summer morning, with the sun cutting the dew with its rosy fingers. They are wines of beauty and color which do not promise more than they produce. Buy them young. Drink them young. But, please, buy them and drink them. They deserve attention. They grace almost any dish. The axiom “Red with meat, white with fish, rosé with everything” is very close to the truth. Chilled, youthful rosé wines match up to modern healthy food choices, such as salads and sushi. They are outdoor wines, ideal for barbeque and al fresco dining. They are perfect by and in themselves, and they cry out for friendship.

The lands where rosé wines grow are blessed with painters and poets: Tavel, Bandol, D’Anjou, Provence. I have walked their hillsides many times and have never been disappointed. Throughout Italy, the realms of rosé are in coastal towns and around lakes. The mountains and hills comfortably slope down to the water in Italy. Some zones, not appreciated enough, that enjoy a rosé culture are Lake Garda and pockets along the Mediterranean and Adriatic coastlines. In these areas, a rosé may well be the wine of choice, overshadowing the local reds and whites.

“Rosato” is Italian for rosé. If it fizzes a bit, it becomes a “frizzante.” If it sparkles, it is a “spumante.” A rosato glows not only in pink, but also in salmon or coral. It may be a blend of red and white grapes. Wines called “chiaretto” are brighter and more brilliant, and evoke raspberry flavors. “Cerasuolo” wines are deeper, with nuances of cherries. These two types of rosato are made exclusively from red grapes and contain more coloring substances, called anthocyanins, than simple rosato. I would offer pink as an official wine color, dissecting rosé from its light-red designation. If the Portuguese can have “green” wines, I can have pink.

What’s to follow:  DOC and IGT Rosé wines, such as Bardolino Chiaretto, Lagrein Kretzer, and Moscato Rosa. Also, the Wine Professor spends $3,000 on two bottles of Rosé wine – well, sort of.