As I’ve mentioned before, the seasons are a little
different here in the 50th. There is no one season where April’s
showers brings May’s flowers – the 50th rains constantly especially
in my neck of the woods in Kaneohe, Hawaii. There are no changing of the leaves
after summer nor is there any reason to don winter wear. We simply have two
seasons, a hot summer that lasts from October through June and a very hot and
humid summer from July through September. And never mind “La Nina” bringing
milder climatic changes and sending less hurricanes our way, we just dodged
Madeline and Lester in succession. That Doppler weather map constantly looks
like Van Gough’s Starry Nights surrounding the 50th!
Liquid Respite
So when the mercury only seems to climb, short of
hibernating at every air-conditioned mall for 3 months, what’s a Hawaii native
to do? Cool down with frosty beverages of course! And the first place to start
is with Rose. No, not that pink tinged Zinfandel though it’s actually made in
the traditional saignee method
whereby pressed grape juice is “bled” out of your fermentation barrels to
create a lighter wine version of the parent red grape. Though “white” Zinfandel
is produced in the traditional manner, its production was simply started to
concentrate the red zinfandel wine with the Rose version a by-product of red
Zinfandel. I’m talking about Rose produced as the primary wine product that’s
more than a tutti-frutti, watermelon and strawberry flavored beverage but also
carries mineral and wet stone with a perfect flow over your palate. Master
Sommelier Chuck Furuya would call this a wine with no “branches” that’s very
food friendly and yet very “gulpable”.
Old World Rose
Probably the earliest prototypical Rose wine comes from
the Southern Rhone region in the commune of Tavel. In Tavel, only Rose wine is
produced from Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvedre and Syrah grapes in the traditional
saignee method. In fact, with the
exception of Champagne, ALL Rose wine produced in France MUST be produced by
leaving red grape juice in contact with the skin just long enough to give the
juice its salmon color – you can’t simply add some red wine to white wine to
create a Rose… unless you’re in the Champagne region.
And other than Tavel, there are other regions in France
that grow red grapes but make no red wine whatever. The house of Clos Ste
Magdeleine on the picturesque southern coast in Provence grow Grenache,
Cinsault and Mourvedre – all red grapes – but it’s simply for their Cassis Rose
which is one of my favorite Roses. For the record, their two white wines –
Cassis Blanc and Bel Arme are also spectacular wines perfect for summer
weather.
Also in Provence, you’ll find Chateau d’Esclans which
produces four different Rose wines starting with the “Whispering Angel” all the
way up to their pricey and rare “Garrus”. I can only vouch for their entry Rose
and even if I could find a bottle of Garrus, probably would opt for three bottles
of Whispering Angel plus additional loose change.
And slightly farther east sits Domaine Tempier in the
Bandol region which primarily produces hearty red wines but also produce one
Rose that maintains much of that oomph found in the red wines, just a little
lighter and refreshing.
Of course Rose isn’t limited just to the French mainland
and one of my newest favorites hails all the way from the island of Corsica
which sits closer to Italy than the French mainland. Produced from the native
red grape, Sciaccarellu from vines almost as old as yours truly, the resulting
Rose is like drinking clouds leaving just the perfumed essence after you
swallow. The last time I had a wine with the same ethereal qualities was the
first time I sampled the seasonal Kubota Tokugetsu “Harvest Moon” sake.
Closer to Home
While you can still find your favorite White Zinfandel in
any supermarket, the Golden State also produces many other Rose wines. The
difference between Roses found in the Old World and the New World pretty much
follow the same tasting profiles as red and white wines. The Old World versions
tend to be a lot less fruit forward with more pronounced minerality. That
doesn’t imply domestic versions are lacking quality compared to the Old World.
They’re just different and the main factor is what YOU like in a wine. For
instance, during those dog days of summer when I’m consuming spicier Thai or
Vietnamese cuisine, the fruitiness and sweetness in a domestic Rose would be a
lot better pairing than a bone dry French Rose.
And one of my favorite domestic versions is Palmina’s
Botasea, partly because I’ve met the co-owner who seems like a really nice guy,
partly because $1 of every bottle is donated for cancer research and partly
because sometimes you just want a fun wine when the mercury exceeds 95 degrees!
My other favorite domestic Rose is a hybrid – like a
Prius. Its founder is Master Sommelier Richard Betts who wanted to create a
Rose inspired by those bottles found in Provence, France. So while he is pure
American, the grapes are pure French and the resulting wine is in the words of
Chuck Furuya, pure “deliciousness”. Especially when paired with Asian inspired
cuisine like ramen, siu mai and shoyu glazed pork belly.
Bubbly Rose
Rose also is available as a sparkling wine or Champagne
and is my favorite sub-class of sparkling wine. And though most large Champagne
houses simply add still pinot noir to their Champagne to produce a Rose (this
includes Dom Perignon and Krug), the house of Drappier still produce their Rose
via the saignee method. And because
Drappier never had great marketing and distribution in the US, you basically
are getting tete de cuvee quality for
entry level pricing. Hands down, Drappier is one my favorite Champagne houses.
Of course, if you do hit those six numbers on your
Powerball, Dom Perignon, Krug and Jacques Selosse do make exceptional salmon
colored bubbly…
The Gochiso
Gourmet’s Short List
My Essential Rose (~$15)
Great with Asian inspired cuisine and it won’t break the
bank. It also is sealed with a Stelvin (screw cap) so no corkscrew is needed to
“uncork” the bottle
Marquiliani (~$36)
Like drinking a cloud… Though not the easiest Rose to
procure…
Chateau d’Esclans Whispering Angel (~$24)
Another favorite that won’t break the bank. Maybe one day
I’ll splurge on its $90 sibling, Garrus
Clos Ste Magdeleine Cassis Rose (~$37)
Very food friendly or great simply sipped with some hot
jazz
Domaine Tempier Rose (~$39)
A hearty Rose that can pair with heartier cuisine
Palmina Botasea (~$20)
What reason? I just wanted something chilled
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