June is a tricky month in North Idaho. I moved here 7.5 years ago and I’ve seen about 4 varieties: cool, rainy, warm, dry (and one year hot). This June has been all of the above.
When I think everyone is “over” big reds because of the season, I get people in who only drink Cabernet. When it is 50F, I have people come in wearing flip flops who order Rosé. It’s true that it really does not matter what time of year it is–drink what you like.
In the last few years Rosé has really taken off. The stigma that “pink = sweet” is slowly going away (thank goodness). The emergence of White Zin in the late 1970s was terrific for college dorms and as an “introduction” of sorts into the world of wine. My parents always liked Rosé, so I was surprised when drinking my first sticky sweet pink. I thought it was an aberration–even at the tender young age of *ahem* 19 (legal drinking age in Minnesota back in the Dark Ages). It was years until I saw it again on a wine list.
While working at a French bistro in Minneapolis, I found what was to be (and still is) one of my favorite wines of all time: the Chateau D’Aqueria Rosé from the Tavel region. Oh. It was/is fabulous. Fleshy, round, yet dry and mineral-y. Love it. At the time, there were few places that sold a wide variety of Rosés. This started changing (in the Twin Cities) around 2000.
My favorite wine shop in St. Paul, Solo Vino, started carrying an incredible amount of Rosê every spring. It was dazzling. Row upon row of the beautiful stuff from all over the globe–making it nearly impossible to make a choice. Thankfully, I had a friend who worked (and distributed) there. I’ve been looking for that kind of variety since I moved to the Northwest.
Now that I’m in charge of buying wine, I can make this a reality! While our selection is not as diverse as Solo Vino, I’m building! Here is what we have so far:
From Garden City Idaho: Cinder Dry Rosé from the Snake River Valley–100% Cinsault
From Turner, Oregon: Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Rosé of Pinot Noir
From Mattawa Washington: Charles & Charles Columbia Valley blend Rosé–mostly Syrah and Grenache
From Hopland, California: Cosentino Winery’s The Rosé Lodi–50% Pinot Noir, 25% Syrah, 25% Zinfandel
From Templeton, California: Saved Magic Maker Rosé–a blend of Grenache, Pinot Noir, Cab Franc, and Sangiovese. (this is my favorite right now)
From Zamora, California: Matchbook Dunnigan Hills Rosé of Tempranillo
From Manduel, France: Chateau de Campuget Rosé Rhone wine–70% Syrah, 30% Grenache
From Aix-en-Provence, France: Bieler Père et Fils–A blend of mostly Syrah and Grenache with a smattering of Cabernet and Cinsault.
From the Loire region of France: Justin Monmousseau Rosé d’Anjou–70% Cabernet Franc, 30% Grolleau
From Rioja, Spain: Marques de Carçeres Rosé–98% Tempranillo, 2% Garnacha Tinta
I think anyone would be able to find one they liked from this line-up. I plan on gettiing a couple from Portugal soon. Maybe you think I’m nuts, but once you TRY a Rosé, I’m sure you’ll understand.
If you’re in St. Paul and need wine, go visit Solo Vino! There isn’t a better bottle shop, in my opinion! www.solovinowines.com
So, I have a little anecdote from my serving years. I was waiting on a table –two couples in their 40s. They were looking at the wine list and wanted a White Zin. I brought the bottle they ordered and showed it to the host. He LOUDLY proclaimed, “If you knew ANYTHING about wine, you’d know that this is a different vintage (it was a year younger) and thus, a different wine.” Oh, what to say what to say. I actually had something to say and I said it, “Sir, regardless of the vintage of White Zinfandel, it is best drunk when young.”
I was in my 20s, so please forgive my snobbery. I had JUST read the description of White Zin in my faithful wine guide and it said it was “best served at picnics with hot dogs and burgers, when very young”. I cringe at my hubris.
Cedar Street Bistro Wine Bar 