I have been drinking rose for a while now and it has become one of my favorite kinds of wine so I thought it would be nice to share a few interesting facts about rose with you!  

Most rose wines are made from a red grape varietal.  The grapes most often used in making a rose include Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Zinfandel.  These varietals can be used solo or made into a blend.  The skins of a red grape are allowed to have brief contact with the grape juice, producing the pink color.  The color of a rose can range from a subtle pink to a vibrant hot pink depending on the grape and how long the skins were in contact with the juice. The shorter the contact time with the skins, the lighter the wine’s color.  Sparkling roses are traditionally made with a blend of red and white grapes.   Roses can range from sweet to bone dry (my favorite).  The drier roses often come from Southern France, Spain or Italy.  Roses are perfect for almost any food from seafood to steak to Thanksgiving dinner! Roses are also perfect for pairing with grilled foods and are wonderful with French fries (trust me on this one).

The biggest producers of rose wine are France, Spain (rosado), Italy (rosato), and the United States but is also produced in South America, Germany and Australia.  The general rule of thumb for buying rose is that European wines will usually be more dry and rose from anywhere else will be less dry.  There are, of course, exceptions to this rule but it can be a great way to narrow your options at the wine shop!  My favorite roses tend to be from France…I love anything from Provence, the Rhone valley or the Loire valley.  Provencal rose tends to be very pale pink with tasting notes of strawberry, raspberry and citrus.

Roses are usually less expensive than red wines because they are relatively cheap to make.  They are also still under appreciated in the United States, but are quickly growing in popularity.  There are many options in the $10 – $15 range and even the highest prices are usually no more than about $30.  Rose does not improve with age, so buy it and enjoy it (chilled) immediately.

The wines in this tasting include from left to right, Domaine Gueneau  Sancerre Chavignolet 2015, Domaine Lafage Miraflors Rose 2015, Le Grand Noir Rose, La Cuvee Des Annibals 2015, L’Olivet  Rose of Pinot Noir (from Sonoma County).  I purchased all of these wines from Cork and Cow in Burlington.  

My cute top is by Bess & George…check out their website here!

I would love to know what you think of this post!  Leave your comments in the box below and follow me on Instagram @crazyblondelifeblog!  Have a great Sunday and enjoy a glass of Rose!