Pretty in Pink
By Jenise
Stone
Red wine with meat and white wine with fish went the
old adage. So when to drink pink? ALL SUMMER LONG.
And I’m not talking about sweet and simple white
zinfandel. White zin is to wine what training bras are
to underwear—merely a place to start. Or something
to keep your mother-in-law quiet. Deliberately made to
please the least discerning wine drinker, they’ve
cast a bad shadow over the seriously good roses that
deserve the true wine lover’s attention. Here are
some of the best currently in Whatcom County (and as
always, personally purchased and tasted by moi):
2005 Syncline: from grenache, mourvedre, cinsault and
syrah. Complex strawberry flavors. Sweeter and higher
in alcohol than average, but it somehow works. $14.
2005 CMS (Hedges): from cabernet sauvignon,
marsanne and syrah. Very crisp and dry with red rose,
white peache,
sweet herb and daddy’s pipe tobacco. I’m
buying more. $10.
2005
Chinook: Every summer WA wine lovers wait for winemaker
Kay Simon to release this cult-status cabernet franc
rose. Gorgeous deep rose color. On the palate, sweet
strawberries, black pepper and an
intriguing sharp fresh basil finish. Serious and fascinating,
$15.
Hey—let’s take a quick break for some schooling.
Do you know how roses are made? No, they’re not
made from light red grapes. And they’re not a mix
of red and white wines either. They’re made from
red wine grapes (red skins, white flesh), but the juice
is removed after minimal skin contact. They taste of
red berries, melons, stone fruits and rocks and wood,
and I adore them! But on with some offerings from the
rest of the world:
2004 Wolfftrap rose (South Africa): Golden rose color,
made of mostly syrah. Watermelon and candied orange rind
with sandalwood and East India spices. Very tangy, very
complex. My favorite on this list, and only $8. BEST
VALUE!
2004 Muga (Spain): From tempranillo grapes, lovely pale
copper-pink, light and dry. Tastes of rose petals sauteed
in butter. Another value favorite. $8
2004 Tommasi Chiaretto Bardolino (Italy): Tawny rose
color. Cran-apple nose with tea and watermelon. Strong
acidity makes it a better food wine than sipper. $11
2005 Yalumba Sangiovese (Australia):
Electric kool-aid dark pink color suggests a silly
wine, but it’s
not. A fruit-driven, red berry wine with chalky minerality.
$9
2005 Saintsbury (California): From pinot noir, a pretty,
pretty wine of spicy red fruits and roses. Need to convert
a white zin drinker? Get this one. $11.
2005 Chateau Donjon Minervois (France): Mixed red fruits
and minerals. A dry style with complex nuances. $11.
(7-1-2006)
Jenise
Stone is a wine enthusiast and avid foodie who lives
in Birch Bay, Washington. She can be reached by emailing jenise@tasteofwhatcom.com.
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