WINE WISDOM: Think pink and chill this summer

With the advent of summer, wine drinkers shift their sights from reds to cold refreshing wines to help stay cool.

While that traditionally means Americans will be chilling and drinking whites, there's an attractive alternative. As any tourist to the French Riviera can tell you, Europeans turn to rose in the summer. Wine savvy Americans are increasingly following suit, resulting in greater rose consumption among discriminating wine consumers.

Anyone puzzled by this suggestion may be confusing rose wines with white zinfandels or blush wines. Blush wines are inevitably sweet, too sweet for many wine lovers. They stand in contrast to most rose wines, which are both delicious and dry, but usually not sweet.

Before I reveal more of the seasonal benefits of drinking rose, I'll comment briefly on blush wines. There is nothing wrong with white zinfandel for those who like it. I've always advocated the best wine is the one you enjoy drinking, whatever that may be. For many people, that choice is a blush or sweet pink wine as opposed to a dry rose.

Here's why. Americans are widely regarded as talking "dry" but drinking sweet. If you think about it, most of us grew up on Coke and Pepsi, leaving us with a definite predilection for somewhat sweeter wines than Europeans. Blush wines from Sutter Home, Beringer and a host of others are immensely popular and sell millions of bottles annually. For many novice wine drinkers, they provide a smooth transition from drinking whites to red wines. That's a good thing.

Rose wines, as noted, are typically dry. Served chilled, they make a delightful, refreshing summer beverage. Their pink color comes from the winemaking process. All grape juice is white, no matter what color grapes are used. Winemakers make red wines by leaving the grape skins in with the juice to absorb coloring from them. In the case of rose wines, the winemaker allows the skins to soak with the juice only long enough for the wine to take on a pinkish tint; then, the skins are removed and the result is a rose wine.

Made in almost every wine region globally, rose wines are produced from a wide variety of grapes, from mourvedre, syrah, and grenache, to more unusual grape varieties. Several appellations are noted for their superb rose wines, including France's Provence and Spain's Navarra regions, where it accounts for more than half of the wines produced. Other places associated with rose production are Tavel and the Loire Valley.

The good news for wine drinkers is that rose wines are refreshing and delectable any time of the year. Even better news is that they are among the best wine values found anywhere. The most expensive seldom exceed $30 and the majority are $7 to $17, before discounts.

While my list of good rose wines grows longer every summer, here are a few of my favorites and some I've tasted recently and enjoyed immensely: From Provence, Jean-Luc Columbo Cote Bleue ($10) is always good and a personal favorite due to its subtlety and elegance. Corail Cotes de Provence Rose ($22) is biodynamic and very tasty. Chateau Saint-Cyrgues Cuvee Anna ($14), from the Costieres de Nimes region, is charming, subtle, and very dry.

While you might not associate Italy with rose, you should. Look for wines labeled rosato, chiaretto or cerasuolo, indicating it's a rose. One of the top Chianti Classico wineries makes an awesome Castello di Ama Rosato ($17), from sangiovese grapes, that's more red wine-like. From the slopes of Sicily's Mount Etna, Terre Nere Rosato ($16) is a fabulous wine from nerello mascalese grapes.

Saladini Pilastri Consenso Rosato ($9) and La Valentina Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Cerasuolo ($13) are both good and zestful. Muri-Gries Lagrein Rosato $17), from an ancient monastery, is another favorite that offers a bit more flavor while being deliciously soft and round.

From California's Santa Ynez Valley, try Buttonwood Syrah Rose ($16). It caught my attention at a recent tasting. It's a summer treat you should try.

Very food friendly, rose wines pair well with a wide variety of foods and make a great choice for summer picnics. As Julia Child noted, rose works well with any food. Buy the latest vintage and drink them reasonably soon. Serve them well chilled to help beat the summer heat. Enjoy.

Mark P. Vincent is a Framingham resident who has a passion for wine. His column runs in Food & Dining on the third Wednesday of the month. Contact him at winewisdom@yahoo.com or visit his blog at winewisdom.blogspot.com.