Last Sips of Summer: Rosé
In the depths of summer, my go-to drink is rosé to stay cool. With Labor Day weekend nearly here, stock up for the long weekend, whether you’re having a chill weekend at home, need to bring a bottle to share at a house party or a weekend at the beach. Fun fact, the wine was not popular in the US till early 2000s. It picked up steam from celebrities, and remember “The Fat Jew” who came out with his White Girl Rosé? We can blame White Zin for our early days of disregard for rosé till some of these luminaries made it popular and “acceptable.”
What I love about rosé is that it’s best served chilled. It can be various blends of my favorite red varietals but more like a strawberry blonde. This ginger approves.
My cousin came to visit so we took her to the Finger Lakes - perfect pandemic safe-ish activity in the outdoors!
At a recent rosé class at Fitler Club with our teacher and local expert Brian Freedman, he took us through a range of the pink wine, which ranged from $15-17 a bottle - the most was $25. That felt pretty reasonable for some of these lovely porch pounders and you should look for on your next wine shop visit:
Cava Trepat Rosat, Catalonia, Spain
Cabernet Franc Rosé, Domaine de L'Enchantoir, Loire Valley, France
Coteaux Aix en Provence Rose, Le Pin de la Cadiniere, France
Bandol Rosé, Chateau Pradeaux, Provence, France
Ciliegiolo Rosato, San Ferdinando, Tuscany, ItalyNatural - aka Pet Nat wine.
Here are some that I recommend this summer:
A Slovenian sparkling rose that is made by a third-generation wine maker, which is delicious and refreshing. I’ve gotten really into “Pét-Nat” lately - sold at a few bottle shops around Philly:
https://thenaturalwineshoppe.com/products/matic-wines-mea
Sip another Pet Nat, 2021 Freak of Nature Unfiltered Rosado available on Wine Awesomeness. I’m vibing with this new growing trend and hope to see more of it.
Boxed wine. Don't knock a box till ya try it! As I mentioned before, White Zin made it hard for us to “accept” wine in a box. But hear me out? Try this dry rosé by Bota Box, which is a real crowd pleaser. Don’t tell them it came in a box and listen to them love it! Open the tap and set in the fridge, since you'll be coming back for more.
It’s perfect for a BBQ and bigger parties, since it has approximately four bottles in the full version: https://www.botabox.com/global/wines/dry-Rose.html
Finger Lakes is known for it’s German varietal Riesling and Gewurztraminer, however, they have some delightful rosés at Dr. Frank, Glenora Wine Cellars and Wagner Vineyards - pictured above and lovely view. It’s a great getaway if you have the time to visit the region. It has wineries, breweries, lake fun, hikes and experiences to be had like winery tours by boat on Cayuga Lake. Make a plan to visit!
If you’re out on Long Island in the Hamptons, you can check in with local favorite Wölffer Winery to tap their Summer in a Bottle:
https://www.wine.com/product/wolffer-summer-in-a-bottle-long-island-rose-2021/888258
Another is Channing Daughter that is worth a visit. During peak pandemic, my friends organized a virtual tasting with a few of us, and I was tuned in form our farmhouse in rural PA (pictured above and my pup Milan). While PA can be hit or miss with wine, there are a few in the state to check out including Grovesdale Winery, not far from us.
Easy way to stock up, check out Wine Awesomeness and use my code to get $50 off your first purchase. Support a small business and smaller wineries around the world. I love the variety and delicious surprises in each delivery. I get a lot of compliments when I serve them at home or bring to a party.
For brilliant wine minds, follow Julie Coney, Melanie Wynne, Joseph Hernandez and Brian Freedman. Cheers!
