Micro Blog: Wine for Thought by Mary Margaret McCamic

When the weather warms up and the grill comes out, I reach for a certain category of wine without thinking twice: rosé. I drink it all year-round, of course, but I’m often surprised when others don’t share in my enthusiasm; I hope the pleas that follow can convince readers that rosé is a genre of wine they must try.

Let me first address the gentlemen, and let me be clear: there’s nothing more charming than a man holding a glass of rosé. It tells onlookers two things: one, you don’t buy into the ridiculous stereotype that only ladies drink pink wines, and two, you might actually know something about wine. Because people who truly understand wine know that rose is as diverse and serious a category of wine as white, red, or sparkling, and it includes so much more than White Zinfandel.

I broaden my address to both ladies and gentlemen now, and I politely ask you all to forget the rumors you’ve heard about rosé always being sweet. We can thank the aforementioned White Zinfandel (a known trouble-maker) for that nasty reputation, a wine so popular in its sticky sweetness that it has masked the truth that rosé can be-gasp-bone dry. Such dry examples might include those from France’s Provence, where locals drink their pale, salmon-colored rosé wines like water. Notes of mineral and tangy, tart cranberry can dance on your tongue, and such styles are the perfect accompaniment to fresh, chilled seafood, like shrimp.

If you aren’t afraid of a bit more color in your pink wine, might I suggest trying styles from Argentina or Chile? Here, grapes like Malbec and Syrah shine with their supple red fruits and soft spices. They are fruity not sweet-and the perfect companion for burgers fresh off the grill or foods with a little heath. Have I tempted you enough? 

Shall I goon? I could, but alas, a glass of rosé is waiting-where’s yours?

Mary Margaret McCamic, DWS