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Ro Ro Rosé

By Chuck Sudo in Food on May 25, 2006 6:00PM

2006_05_rose.jpgChicagoist will admit to having had a long-standing bias against rosés and other pink-hued wines. It stems from years of people ordering white zinfandel, or pinot grigio with a dash of grenadine added, if no white zinfandel were available.

In recent months, however, we've started to lose that bias. As we've learned more about rosé, we realized that we should have directed our frustrations at the folks who insist on drinking wine badly. Most rosés are made from red grapes with their skins removed 2-3 days after harvesting. It's this brief contact with the skin that gives rosé its pink color. Removing the skin also takes away the character and body one usually finds in red wines - the tannins and full flavors, remember, come from a grape's skin. What we get with rosé, instead, is a slightly acidic and sweet flavor. Served slightly chilled, rosé is a desirable summer wine option because of its light body and sweet flavor. It pairs well with grilled seafoods, fruit salads, and spicy entrees. Chicagoist will warn you, if you decide to wash down a bratwurst with a glass of rosé, you will be doing so at the risk of ridicule.

Chicagoist has been sampling a lot of rosés lately. Following the jump are a few recommendations for your next picnic or barbecue.

When buying a rosé, you could simply opt for a white zinfandel, but variety is the spice of life, and Chicagoist aims to please. If you're interested in finding a good rosé that will change your perception of pink wines, here are some suggestions:

- Folie à Deux Menage à Trois rosé ($12 retail): This California blended rosé contains 66 percent merlot, 24 percent syrah, and 10 percent gewürztraminer. The red wine grapes are cold-soaked for 24 hours to enhance the color of the wine, while the syrah's spice notes and the strawberry undertones of the merlot are accented by the gewürztraminer's residual sugars. This wine is not a madness to be shared by just two.

- Robert Hall Rosé de Paso Robles ($12-$14 retail): A fine blend of syrah, grenache, and mourvedré grapes, this rosé has a deep salmon color, with bright notes of raspberries, cherries, and citrus. It finishes with a slightly dry, lingering finish. An absolutely delightful wine.

- Pax Rosé ($25-$30 retail): Normally Chicagoist wouldn't pay this much for a good bottle of red, but Pax Wines are some of the best in the world. This rosé - blended mainly from syrah, with a hint of grenache - looks like a bottle of fortified wine; it's a dirty plum in color. The color changes to an orange-pink when decanted, with vibrant mineral, raspberry, strawberry, and floral notes on the palate. This wine finishes extremely dry, with an undertone of orange peel.