Wine Review: Pink rose a fine choice for summer

Among summer time's favorite wines are the beautiful pink rose wines.

Rose wines are not simply whites that have some reds infused with them. Rather, they are wines that specifically have been made to be pink by crushing red grapes and then allowing the color-producing skins to soak for a period of time (usually just a few hours) with the resultant grape juice. When the winemaker deems that the skins have done their coloring job, they are quickly removed.

Red wines are red because they remain in contact with the grape skins during the entire fermentation process. The individuality of the various rose wines comes from the grape varieties chosen to make the wine and the length of time the wine is in contact with the skins. Even a brief encounter of the grape skins with the wine adds individuality and identifiable flavors and aromas.

I recently had an opportunity to taste a few of the latest vintage of some very interesting rose wines.

Anaba 2021 Rose of Grenache ($34)
Anaba Rose is a true child of Sonoma County, California, and a beautiful example of the rose style. The grenache grapes hold nothing back and impart to this wine a dynamic aroma of red grapefruit and rose petals that follow through to the finish. This wine beautifully will accompany lighter summer foods, especially seafood or vegetarian/vegan meals. While some rose wines are flimsy little things, this wine adds a new accent to the variety and should not be overlooked.

Lynmar Estate Russian River Valley 2021 Rose of Pinot Noir ($33)
One of the most popular grape varieties used for rose wines is the pinot noir. Some have remarked that it’s a pity to relegate the lofty pinot noir to the position of a simpler rose, but those who do have probably never experienced a well-made rose. This wine opens with the traditional aroma of rose petals, which it presents in abundance. The flavor and the finish are pure pinot noir featuring strawberry and, if you sip it slowly, cherry. As a confirmed pinot noir lover, it is needless to say that I really enjoyed this wine.

Fiddlehead Cellars 2019 "Pink Fiddle" Rose of Pinot Noir ($30)
This is another wine that, from start to finish, has been intentionally made as a rose. The grapes and the grape juice (called must) were pure pinot noir specifically grown and selected to be used to make a rose, rather than using just any pinot noir grapes they could have bought. With this wine, the rose petal aroma is so prominent one might believe that someone wearing perfume was standing behind them. When it comes to the flavor and finish, this wine loudly announces its pinot noir parents. Cherries, cherries and even more cherries combine with cranberries and spice to end in a satisfying finish.

Maison Marcel Rose ($17)
It would be unfair for me to write about rose wines without including one from the Mediterranean Rhone River region of southern France, the birthplace of all rose wines and where they have been made since ancient Roman times. Maison Marcel Rose is a semi-sweet wine which, according to wine historians, is similar to the style the Romans enjoyed, and as the makers describe it, “not too sweet and not too dry.” The wine offers the aromas of white peach and elderflower, which follow the wine through to the finish. If you are not familiar with the Rhone River rose wines, this beverage is an inexpensive way to become introduced to the wines of ancient Rome.

Wine columnist Bennet Bodenstein can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.