Rosé: It's not just for summer anymore

(4) Rosé’s secret weapon: food.  Too many winemaker dinners pair a quick slurp of rosé with hors d’oeuvres before moving on to the serious stuff. It's unfortunate. Rosé certainly isn't a wine for all meals — thick steak deserves a hearty red — but it complements an astounding range of foods.

Bouillabaisse is tailored for French rosés like Tavel or Bandol, while a brisk Italian rosé from Umbria could perfectly match salty slices of prosciutto — or even a ham sandwich. The list of cuisines scrolls on: Thai, Chinese, Mexican.

Good pink wines' natural high acidity not only gives the wine structure, it helps balance out fat in the food.

Your options are foiled only by most restaurants’ lack of rosé choices. Indian food, for example, is a perfect candidate for a solid Chinon rosé from France’s Loire valley or a domestic rosé of Cabernet franc. But good luck finding anything more than white zin on the wine list.

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While exact pairings can be an obscure endeavor, Morgan proposes a quick rule of thumb: brighter, fresher wines go better with lighter dishes; sturdier rosés match heavier food.  Just don’t judge a wine by its shade of pink: Even light-colored rosés can be surprisingly solid.

TASTING NOTES
You can buy terrific, authentic rosé for under $15 a bottle, which makes it perhaps the best deal on the wine shelf. Still. our tasting was a tricky one. We knew we couldn't conduct a battle of equals, so instead we hunted wines that were affordable and interesting, and went well with food.

France
Chateau Calabre 2004 Bergerac rosé (Robert Kacher Selections, $10): A surprise standout. Bergerac, in southwest France, generally lives in the shadow of its western neighbors in Bordeaux. Made from typical Bordelais grapes — Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc and merlot — this fascinating wine opens with a complex aroma of fresh berries and  herbs. It’s impressively delicate, given Cabernet’s heavy-hitter rep. The mix of fresh and solid makes it perfect for hearty, fattier food as summer fades away.

Domaine Charles Audoin 2003 Marsannay rosé (Martine’s Wines, $16): Even rarified Burgundy has an appellation with vineyards devoted solely to rosé wines. Here we found forest fruit overlapped by a delicate taste of dry straw. It’s subtle and bright wine, with a mineral taste at the core that makes it more stoic than it first seems. Food brings out its full potential.

Jaboulet 2004 Parallèle 45 Côtes du Rhône rosé (Frederick Wildman & Sons, $10): A forceful grenache-based offering from the value line of major Rhône player Jaboulet. Bright cranberry pairs with toasty dry bramble up front and some darker notes in the back, with herbal hints all along. The texture is sharp and yet lavish. Thirst-quenching and a great deal.

United States
Ponzi Rosato pinot noir rosé ($15): An excellent example of a pinot-based pink from one of Oregon’s most well-established wineries, which sells it directly. It opens with a blossomy note of perfumed strawberry, followed by a long finish that wraps in a subtle bitter note. Pinot makes delicate rosé, and this is more about elegance than refreshment. But it can certainly tangle with a nice chunk of salmon.

SoloRosa 2004 California rosé ($13): Jeff Morgan’s most recent offering is big and slightly slightly hot for rosés (14.2 percent alcohol), but the mix of Napa sangiovese and Lodi merlot is surprisingly fresh and complex: Grapefruit, sweet cranberry and mint open things up, and sit atop a firm mineral base. A versatile offering from someone who’s spent a lot of time thinking about pink.

Italy
Argiolas 2003 Serralori rosato Isola dei Nuraghi IGT (Winebow, $13): Rosato is simply Italian for rosé, and this unique pink offering hails from the most notable winery on the island of Sardinia. A blend of four grapes, including cannonau (Sardinian for grenache) and carignano (carignane), it opens with a huge bouquet of nectar, honeysuckle and brambly fruit. Juicy and firm, with fun herbal notes and a solid structure.

Spain
El Coto 2004 Rioja rosado (Wildman, $10): Rioja fashions its sturdy rosado (rosé) primarily out of garnacha and tempranillo grapes, and this arrives bright and balanced, with ripe red fruit offset by jumping herbal notes and a great juicy core. A truly well-built wine.

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