Everything Rosé

• A quick history and the oldest accounts of drinking pink • How to make rosé wine • Most popular/delicious areas for rosé wine production • Perfect pink pairings

The oldest accounts of drinking pink… • Greek mythology: Amphictyon mixed red wine with water to cut back on drunkenness amongst his councilors • Ancient Greece: Likely shorter macerations or faster fermentations on skins resulted in paler red wines • 600 BC: Greeks bring vines to southern France • 125 BC: Romans arrive in Provence and bring red winemaking, but the area’s rosé remains highly acclaimed

Rosé around the world • Provence! The official unofficial capitol of rosé wine • Main grapes: Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan • Area near the Mediterranean coast (coastal climate overall with dry and sunny summers, temperate winters) • Wild Provençal herbs and brush • Loire, Burgundy, Languedoc, Champagne • Spain: rosado; Navarra • Italy: rosato or chiaretto; Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo • California

How it got pink • Saignée: to bleed off some red juice, thereby increasing proportion of skins to remaining juice. Rosé is a by-product. • Skin contact: white juice sits on red skins for a short period. • Blending: mixing white wine and red wine together.

Triennes Rosé ’11 – Provence, France • From: Provence • Grapes: Cinsault with Grenache, Syrah, Merlot • Two Burgundian winemakers, Jacques Seysses from Domaine Dujac and Aubert de Villaine from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti • Pairing Suggestions: • Grilled white fish • Pâté

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Clos Cibonne Tibouren ’09 – Côtes de Provence, France • From: Provence • Grapes: Tibouren • 800 meters from the ocean • Wine ages under flor • Pairing Suggestions: • Grilled chicken, citrus glaze • Niçoise salad

Baudry Chinon Rosé ’11 – Loire Valley, France • From: Chinon • Grapes: Cabernet Franc • Chalky limestone soil • Pairing Suggestions: • Grilled, stuffed bell peppers • Hamburgers

Bisson Ciliegiolo Rosato ’11 – Golfo del Tigullio, Italy • From: Liguria • Grapes: Ciliegiolo • Rocky vineyards on cliffs • Ciliegila = cherry in Italian • Pairing Suggestions: • Grilled or fried calamari • BLTs

López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rosado ’00 – Rioja, Spain • From: Rioja • Grapes: Garnacha, Tempranillo, Viura • Barrel aged; released very late • Benchmark Rioja producer • Pairing Suggestions: • Gazpacho • Grilled shrimp

Lucy Pinot Noir Rosé ’11 – Santa Lucia Highlands, California • From: Monterey • Grapes: Pinot Noir • Made by Jeff Pisoni and the Pisoni family • California = warm (ripeness); Monterey and 2011 = cool (acidity) • Pairing Suggestions: • Seared tuna with soy and avocado • Ham sandwiches