Rosé: Why is this stuff pink?

Red wine comes from red grapes and white wine comes from white grapes. So Rosé must come from pink grapes, right? Wrong. Somewhere along the way, I learned that color in wine comes from the skins, not the juice. Juice of all grapes is somewhat like white wine, a version of pale yellow. Red wine is made from red, purple or black grapes and the color comes from crushing the fruit and leaving the skins in contact with the juice for an extended period of time. In the case of Rosé, the skins are left in contact with the juice for a much briefer period, ranging from a few hours to a couple of days. The amount of contact time and the color of grapes used determine the color of the Rosé, which can range from the lightest pink to salmon to light crimson. (Rosé champagne is made by blending red and white wines, but that’s a story for another day.) While I believe you can't judge a book by its color, the beautiful colors of Rosé wines have a lot to do with why I like them so much, though I do have to say that a lot of big, insecure guys wouldn't be caught dead with a glass of pink anything.

This is a drink that wine snobs love to hate. Indeed, Rosés have gotten a bad name over the last two or three decades as huge quantities of sweet and artless White Zinfandel were hurried into the marketplace, spoiling palates across the continent. Fortunately, that has begun to change. Good Rosés are fresh and crisp and can have vibrant flavors of strawberries, cherries, melon, berries and some citrus. Usually they are very dry, but well-made Rosés can handle a touch of sweetness well. There is an enormous amount of Rosé in the marketplace now, and it is one of the fastest-selling varieties in this country. Last year, as I tasted wines for summer, I was impressed at the consistently high quality of Rosé in the market. This year stores are carrying Rosés from many more countries and regions, made from many more grapes and blends. Some are delicious and some are awful, so ask for advice. Those listed below should make you and your friends and family happy. These wines should be served well chilled and are great for warm summer quaffing, matching well with a wide range of dishes from pizza to fish.

I tasted lots of Rosés - from California, Oregon, Washington, Australia, France, Spain, Italy, Argentina and New Zealand. It is fair to say that right now the best Rosés in the world are being made in France. That's probably because they take it seriously and have been working at it for a longer period than most countries. So if you’re impatient, concentrate your search on this list, or just ask your merchant to recommend a good French Rosé.