With Memorial Day behind us, we are looking forward to summer. What is the best summer wine? You are not wrong if you said Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, or any other wine. But you might want to try a Rose’ and I think if you are a red wine drinker, Rose may be the answer.

Denise and I have really grown to love Rose’ over the past few years. It gives you freshness and crispness, but still has some tannins and complexity that white summer sippers don’t have.

We found a website that described different styles of Rose’. https://www.virginwines.co.uk/

1. Provence rose’. Pale pink color. Flavors of minerality, floral, and summer berries and citrus. Pairs with white meats, seafood, and salads.
2. White Zinfandel. These wines range from off-dry to sweet. Flavors of red berries, melon, and baking spice. Pairs with heavy cheeses and fish, as well as BBQ.
3. Garnacha Rosado. Deep fruit flavor because of the warm Spanish climate. Tastes of strawberries, raspberries, apple, and grapefruit. Sometimes get a hint of licorice. Pairs with tapas and paella.
4. Cinsault Rose’. Strawberries, raspberry, pomegranate, and cherry. Violet and spice. Pairs with fish and sushi.
5. Pinot Noir Rose’. Delicate wines with flavors of strawberry and rose petals. Pairs with salads, chicken, and salmon.
6. Mourvedre Rose’. Pairs with grilled fish, steak, grilled vegetables.
7. Rosato. Italian Rose’. Some can be dark in color. Often have juicy fruit flavors and pair well with foods normally associated with red wines such as steaks.

Tonight, we are enjoying two Rose’ wines including:

1. Stone Hill Winery Dry Rose. A blend of Chambourcin, Chardonel, and Traminette. Notes of raspberry, watermelon, and orange blossom. Fresh acidity and a medium body, this fruit forward rose’ is perfect for chilling and enjoying on its own. Pair with grilled chicken, spicy Mediterranean dishes or just a summer afternoon on the deck. 13% alcohol and 0.4% residual sugar. Purchased at the winery for $13.00. You can order from the winery at https://stonehillwinery.com/
2. 2024 Cote de Roses. This is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache, and Syrah. The wine comes from southern France from the Languedoc AOC. Aromas of red fruits, blackcurrant, and redcurrant. Tastes of rose, citrus, and grapefruit. Normally a fuller-bodied wine. Flavors of citrus, peach, and herbs, as well as strawberry and raspberry. Purchased at Costco for $12.99.

Next week we will taste two white wines. We have a Rhone Valley white blend and a Torrontes.

This tasting will compare different priced wines, from about $7 to $24. It also compares Tempranillo wines from Rioja and Toro Spain, as well as the Yakima Valley, Washington. I can’t wait to learn about the differences in these wines.

Rioja is known for its Tempranillo based blended wines. The wines are historically classified based on how long they have been aged (especially in oak). In 2017 changes were made to labeling laws, and place (or Terrior) is becoming more important.

Toro is known for its Tempranillo varietal wines. It is labeled as Tinta del Toro, which is a slight variant of Tempranillo, but basically the same thing. I found that it has a thicker skin, and of course skin is where tannin is found. Therefore, these wines may have more tannins. Toro is a warmer region than Rioja, which creates heavier, fuller-bodied, more jammy wines.

Tonight, we are enjoying three Tempranillos including:

1. 2022 MonteToro 5. The wine comes from the Bodegas Ramon Ramos Toro and was purchased at WineStyles for $24.00. Aged in oak for 6 months and an additional year in the bottle. Vines are between 30-50 years old and from high-elevation vineyards. The wine has a dark inky violet color. The nose is fruity and complex. Oak is subtle and in the background.
2. 2018 Lucia Victoria Rioja Reserva. A $8.99 bottle of wine from Costco. Aged in a combination of French and American oak barrels for either 24 or 30 months and an additional 6 months in the bottle. Comes from the Rioja Alta region. High altitude vineyard with chalk and limestone soils. According to the Reverse Wine Snob, it has aromas of blackberry, vanilla, leather, and balsamic along with notes of licorice, mint, cola, and cedar. He gave it a “Bulk Buy” rating.
3. 2021 Two Mountain Winery Tempranillo. We purchased the wine from Winestyles for around $21.00. The wine comes from the Yakima Valley, Washington, and has 13.9% alcohol. It has aromas of fresh hemlock, toasted pine nuts, dried tobacco, sun-dried tomatoes, and coriander dust. Tastes of dark huckleberry, sage, and freshly rolled cigar. It has soft tannins, acid, and a touch of subtle oak.

Next week we will taste two Rose’ wines.

Tonight we will each do a blind tasting. We will talk about our thoughts and the decisions we make regarding the two wines we taste. We will use the Five-S’s. They stand for;

1. Sight
2. Swirl
3. Sniff
4. Sip
5. Savor

We start our tasting by looking at the wine. We hold the glass tilted at a 45-degree angle and view the wine over a white sheet of paper. We look at the rim of the wine. What is the color? Are there differences in the color? Can I see through the wine?

Next, we swirl the wine and look at how it attaches to the side of the glass. Does it swirl like skim milk or cream? If it looks like skim milk, it is a light-bodied wine; if it is the consistency of cream, it is a full-bodied wine. We sniff the wine.

After swirling the glass to get some air in the wine, we will stick our nose right in the glass and sniff. Swirling releases aromas. What is the first smell? Fruit, vanilla, earthiness? Sip the wine and allow it to cover the mouth. Hold it in the mouth a few seconds before swallowing. Some people like to draw in some air while the wine is in the mouth. Lastly, savor the wine and get any final impressions.

Tonight, the two wines we ended up tasting was;

1. 2019 Chateau Ste Michelle from Columbia Valley, Washington. It was purchased from Costco for $23.99. Notes of blackberries, dark cherries, vanilla, mocha, and spice. Although it is a very dark wine, it has bright acidity and herbal notes, with a touch of minerality.
2. 2018 St Francis Old Vine Zinfandel from Sonoma County. This wine was purchased for around $15.00 from Costco. It undergoes malolactic fermentation in French-oak barrels followed by 15 months of aging. 20% of the barrels are new. Aromas of wild blackberry and sasparilla. Flavors of dark chocolate, minty notes, finishes with black tea and muddled berries.

We recommend both of these wines.

Next week we are tasting three Tempranillos:

1. 2022 MonteToro 5. The wine comes from the Bodegas Ramon Ramos Toro and was purchased at WineStyles for $21.00.
2. 2018 Lucia Victoria Rioja Reserva. A $7.00 bottle of wine from Costco.
3. 2021 Two Mountain Winery Tempranillo. We purchased the wine from Winestyles for around $22.00.