Adventures
in Dining!
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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