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| LET THE PINK PARTY BEGIN |
Well, I'll be the first person"to eat my words!"I was Very skeptical of Rose when it first burst on the wine scene in California a few years ago….Although it's always been a staple in France and they do know how to make a fabulous rose, it had yet to sink into the minds of wine drinkers in America! There was always White Zinfandel, but did anyone ever take that kool-aid seriously?? I must say with all my wine travels I've been privy to some amazing Rose recently, and have slowly become a convert!! Oh, it will never replace my love of Syrahs, Cabs, Bourdeaux Blends, but it has found a little niche in my wine heart….
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| A CORK BY ANY OTHER NAME |
Some of the best ones I've had are all from California, not bragging but damn we make really fine WINES in this state!! Now I don't know the availability of wines in different parts of the country but we have access to even the small boutique wineries who don't typically sell in stores…Among some of the top Rose is
Andrew Murray, Beckman, Demetria, Hilliard/Bruce,Windward, Shale Oak, & Halter Ranch…these are all CENTRAL COAST of California…you can go on their websites and order it directly and they'll ship it to you…if you join their wine club, there is a discount, typically 20% off! I know maybe a lot of you are asking just how is Rose made and how two they achieve that beautiful color…Typically Rose from California can be slightly sweet or fruity with a dry finish which can taste wonderful on the palate…especially on a hot summer day! The most common process for making ROSE is Limited Maceration, the red grapes skins are left in contact with the juice, then the winemaker decides when he/she is pleased with the color and the juice sans skins is transferred to a different tank to finish it's glorious journey(fermentation)! Some of the red wines used in the Rose process are typically Syrah,
Cabernert, Pinot Noir and Merlot…the lower alcohol content makes Rose a perfect daytime wine!
There's also Rose champagne and Sparkling wine, which are made from white grapes(Chardonnay) or white varietals(blends), these have been around for ages and are always a good choice!
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| ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVES |
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| SOOOO FRENCH |
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| SOME OF NAPA'S FINEST |
Some of my favorite Rose Champagnes are Laurent Perrier and Taittinger and for more reasonably priced Sparkling wines Mumm Napa and Chandon are a good choice! Actually, these wines are very festive and perfect for weddings, bridal showers and of course welcoming a baby girl into the world!! It seems that most wineries have gotten on the "Rose bandwagon," which is great because they've created a wonderful competitive market..Even celebrities like Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie have come up with a French Rose from their Chateau in Provence called Miraval! This came highly rated by Wine Spectator……. Whispering Angel is a lovely French Rose that's very crisp and light with a beautiful salmon pink hue!!
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| FRENCH IN EVERY WAY |
Well, quite frankly if anyone had told me when I started this blog last year that I would do a whole post on Rose I would have laughed and called them Crazy…..But here I am, and as I always tell my daughter never say never, because the words may come back to haunt you! You know if you live long enough you see the cycles go around and around, everything old is new again .… so I guess I'll just kick back and eat a little "crow" and wash it down with a great Rose!
Salute to the days of Summer!
THE WINE CONTESSA
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| CHEERS!! |
