If my title didn’t make you flinch and feel taken aback, well, you must think that I’m pulling your leg. I’m not! We’re lucky to have a great wine and spirits store here that does free tastings, and in honor of Cinco de Mayo, they put on an event called “Pinko de Mayo 2016.” They offered 24 different rosé wines that fit into one of four categories: Bubbles and Sweet, Domestic, France, and Italy, Spain, Austria, Argentina.
Perhaps a sane person would have seen that they had their tasting spread over two days and done half the tasting on one day and the other half of the tasting on the other day. That’s just not how Wining Husband and I decided to roll. Luckily, the tasting came with a printout, so we could keep track of which rosé wines we liked, didn’t like, and wanted to purchase at some point. There were only three rosé wines we dumped…so you can imagine. It was a lot of fun. And don’t worry, they were tasting pours, so no one was getting too crazy. Because I’ve been promising you wine notes en masse, I’d love to take a moment and share the notes I made on the wines and my recommendations.
Bubbles and Sweet Rosé Wines
There were six wines in this category. It’s hard to believe that we started out our wine journey both feeling kind of meh about sparkling wines. We’ve had some good ones since we decided to give them a try. Like any wine, quality is everything, and we liked the wines being offered for us to try at this event.
Graham Beck, Brut Rosé – South Africa – ($22, affiliate link) – This Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Rosé wine was very carbonated – there were a lot of bubbles! There were notes of raspberries and strawberries. It was a nice celebration wine, and it was quite dry, even for a rosé. We liked this sparkling a solid amount, and discussed using it for our next NYE celebration.
Charles Bove, Touraine Rosé, France – ($18) – This sparkling wine is 70% Cabernet Franc and 30% Gamay. The wine was light, and very nice. This is the sort of sparkling wine you serve with a delicate appetizer like phyllo bowls. There were hints of celery and carrot to the wine, and was very crisp and lovely.
Scarpetta Timido Vino Spumante Brute Rosé 6th Edition, Italy -($20) – Bright pink in appearance, this wine had aromas of strawberries, apricots, and herbs. It made me think it would be a great wine to serve with salsa or guacamole.
2015 Innocent Bystander Pink Moscato, Victoria, Australia – ($15, affiliate link) – This wine was sweet, vanilla, almost candy-like. It’s definitely a dessert wine. It would go wonderfully with crepes at brunch time for a bit of decadence with a special occasion. The best part of this wine is that it’s affordable, easy to drink, and has a low alcohol content.
Pampelune Grapefruit Rose, France – ($11) – This wine definitely had the grapefruit going on. It was quite nice, and would pair well with something like flan or even crème brûlée.
Elio Perrone Bigaro Rosé – ($19) – We really enjoyed this one. It was very sweet, but it would pair well with a dessert like chocolate mousse. It was very creamy, and it was sweet without being over the top. You won’t be disappointed.
Domestic Rosé Wines
These rosé wines are all produced within the United States. There was one of these that we both decided not to finish, it wasn’t that it was bad, per sae, it was that we thought we’d tasted better, and we wanted to save our palates for other wines.
Orin Swift Cellars Fragile Rosé 2014, California, France – ($19, affiliate link) – This wine was complex and smoky. It almost had that cigar box feeling that Wining Husband and I love. It’s on our must-buy list after the tasting. I’m really looking forward to pairing this with a dinner this summer.
A to Z Rosé 2015, Rogue River Valley, Oregon – ($20, affiliate link) – This wine is a rosé of pinot noir. It was smoky, with hints of applewood bacon, rose petals, and white pepper. It also made me think of ground mustard. While I didn’t think the wine was bad, it was the one we didn’t finish. That said, I think it would be a wine that would hold up well next to bratwurst at a cookout.
Julia’s Dazzle Sangiovese Rosé 2015, Washington – ($17) – Given how much I enjoy Bertagna Son-Kissed Vineyards’ Sangiovese Rosé, I had big hopes for this one. I wasn’t disappointed. This wine had notes of peach, and on the finish, there was a hint of capers. The wine itself is dry with a bright color. It’s a beautiful rosé wine to look at in a glass. I’m not sure we’ll buy a bottle of it, but if I see it on a menu somewhere, I’d be inclined to order a glass.
Domaine Serene R Rose, Willamette Valley, Oregon – ($30) – It’s no secret that I enjoy Oregon Pinot Noirs. This rosé was no exception. It had notes of strawberry and bell pepper, and it’s on my must-buy and cellar list. It’s amazing, and I’m sure it will only develop with time.
Mabel’s Homestead Vineyard Rosé, Arkansas City, Kansas – ($18) – Yes, you read that right, Kansas. I haven’t yet visited this vineyard, but it’s on my to-visit list. Particularly since we loved the wine. Have you ever wondered what you should pair with a gazpacho and a grilled sharp cheddar cheese and apple sandwich? You pair this wine with it, that’s what. It’s very crisp and dry, with light fruit notes.
Chateau St. Jean Bijou Rosé, California – ($16) – This wine had notes of cumin and cilantro on the finish. If you’ve been looking for something to pair with your fish tacos, this wine fits the bill.
France’s Rosé Wines
This was actually the first table we’d approached at the tasting. Of these, there were two wines we didn’t finish and one that went on our must-get-and-cellar list. My husband lived in Aix en Provence, France, and he wasn’t surprised that the two wines we weren’t into were produced there.
La Commanderie La Bargemone Rosé, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence – ($17) – This was a light wine with aromas of strawberries. It was light and floral, and dry. It’s one of the ones we didn’t finish since there were others in the bunch we liked better. It would pair well with a salad on those hot summer nights where you weren’t quite sure what wine you wanted.
Domaine de Pegau “Pink Pegau,” Rhone -($22) – I loved this wine. If I could, I would buy cases of it. It was peachy very dry, and had a mineral finish. It made me think of bleu cheese. A couple weeks ago, I made buffalo chicken and bleu cheese wraps for dinner. This easy-drinking wine would have been a nice wine to serve with that.
Chateau Montaud Cotes de Provence Rosé, Provence, France – ($13) – This wine was like a smoked watermelon bursting in my mouth. It was light and citrusy, and an all around decent rosé wine.
Bieler Père & Fils 2015 Rosé, Aix en Provence, France – ($12, affiliate link) – This was the other wine we did not finish. It was like drinking Sour Patch Kids stripped of their sugar. It wasn’t really bad; it was just that it couldn’t hang with some of the other wines we’ve had. There was lavender and rosemary, there was citrus. I’m fully aware that we may not have finished it because of the tasting order. Sometimes that happens.
Gerard Bertrand Cotes des Roses 2014, Languedoc-Roussillon, France – ($21, affiliate link) – I liked this rosé wine a good bit. It was light and would make a good wine to accompany that grilled chicken and spinach salad this summer. It’s easy drinking, and boasted of bouquet of stone fruit.
Italy, Spain, Austria, Argentina
I really liked the wines at this table. I’m not really sure what more to say, but there was one wine that stood out as my favorite of the tasting. I have to say that the rosé wines offered at the tasting were well-curated.
Zorzal Pinot Noir Rose, Argentina – ($12) – This wine. I know that’s not a sentence, but it was surprising for a rosé wine. It was bacon, butter, and bell peppers. I don’t know how better to describe it than that, so I’ll leave it at that. It’s on my to-buy list.
Olivares Monastrell Rosé, Spain – ($11) – This wine had notes of green olives. If you’ve been wondering what you should serve at your next tapas party, this is your wine. I really liked this one as well.
Garnacha de Fuego Rosé, Spain – ($10) – Okay, this is my favorite wine from the whole rosé tasting. It had a lot of heat on the end, but it was also dry and clean. I tasted ancho chilies. This is what you pair with something that’s light and spicy (like a white bean chicken chili dish). It also had a greasy feel to it. It’s a great-value wine.
Marques de Caceres Rioja Rosado 2014, Spain – ($12, affiliate link) – This wine was another good one. It was buttery and bacony, and easy drinking. This is a great “pool wine.” You know, that wine you drink over the summer while you’re hanging out on a floating chaise in the middle of the pool. Just don’t drink too much! It’s on my must-have list.
GobelsbergerCistercian Rosé, Austria – ($17) – This wine was light, dry, and crisp. It’s a wine that will be good and refreshing over the summer. You can serve it with those lighter appetizers, salads, and even summer vegetable pastas. It had hints of cranberries and watermelon.
Carpineto Dogajolo Rosato, Tuscany – ($16) This final wine was smoky and had some bell pepper on the finish. It would pair well with pasta salad or an orzo salad. It’s definitely a pairing wine, but that’s not a bad thing. It just happens to be a wine that demands you serve food with it. There are worse things.
So there you have it, the 24 (24!) rosé wines we tasted on Saturday evening. We got home, ate dinner, and drank a lot of water and relaxed together with the kids. It was a good time.
Have you tried any of the rosé wines listed above? What was your favorite? Do you have any rosé wine suggestions?
