Riveting rosés

Real men do drink pink

by David Marglin

UNCORKED

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I am in the midst of a serious love affair this summer -- with pink-colored wines.

Why rosé? When it's really hot and sticky, I like to drink wines very chilled. A lot of delicate whites don't like having their flavors toned down, which chilling will do. I also lean toward flavorful wines, especially when the wines aren't being accompanied by food (other than a bowl of olives or nuts). Enter the hearty rosé.

A good rosé is remarkably versatile, especially in summertime. It goes well with seafood, with spicy foods, and with anything slathered with barbecue sauce or mustard. In summer, we tend to drink more wines outside in the heat, and these rosés can stand up to the heat. Whether you serve them really icy, like I do, or just chilled, these wines have a crispness that makes them incredibly seductive.

A lot of people, though, are resistant to the charms of rosés. The popular knock on them is that they're not serious wines. It's a persistent perception that a lot of leading wine connoisseurs will disagree with. Take Emmanuel Kemiji, master sommelier at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco and winemaker for the new winery Miura. Says Emmanuel, "I try to get my customers to drink rosés, but they don't. I drink them myself, especially in summer, and people love them, but a lot of people lack confidence when it comes to ordering a rosé."

In so many other areas, tastes of the wine masses tend to follow the experts' advice. Why is that trend being bucked here? In part, it's a backlash against white zinfandel, a bubble-gummy pink wine that is definitely not serious. Rosés are pink, too, so all wines that color must also be bubble gum. Q.E.D.

Beyond that, wine lovers in general tend to be conservative. They form habits; they drink what they know, or what gets recommended to them (hence the overwhelming popularity of red zinfandels now, merlots over the past seven years, and chardonnays for the past 20). Unless someone comes along and puts a great rosé in their glass, they're not going to buy one. Moreover, since rosés tend to be cheap, wine stores and restaurants will often steer people toward more expensive (and comfortable) reds and whites.

I've devised a simple solution for those of you who fear rosés: close your eyes, have someone put a blindfold on you, and then try some of these wines, with an open mind. Some of the best values around right now are rosés; prices stay down because they're so hard for stores to move. Both Italy and France made fabulous rosés in 1997 and 1998, and in California, those who are progressive enough to make rosés -- wineries including Bonny Doon, Sanford, and Cline -- are really hitting their stride. Especially if you lean toward red wines, you should be checking out some of the spicier Rhône-varietal-based rosés. They taste like red wines with very refreshing characteristics.

The pinkness of rosé, by the way, is a byproduct of the process that adds flavor to the wine. A rosé is made from red grapes; winemakers leave the skins in contact with the juice for a little while to give the wine an infusion of flavor. (Think about eating a grape: the skins tend to be a tart contrast to the sweet juice inside.) While red wines can range from fruity to complex, rosés tend to be fairly straightforward. They can have some depth, but they are usually very approachable, wearing their flavors on their flashy sleeves. Which leads me to another point about rosés: a lot of men have a particular problem with anything pink. Well, pink is becoming fashionable, and I'm telling you: real wine drinkers don't have these issues with rosés.

So now I am out as a rosé drinker, and proud of it. If you have an adventurous bud in your mouth, taste some of these wines. They will thrill you, chill you, and fill you with pleasure. Free your mouth, and your mind will surely follow. I'm telling you, rosés will seduce you if you give them half a chance.

1998 Filomusi Buelfi Montepulciano D'Abruzzo Cerasuolo ($9.99, the Wine Cask). This very well-balanced wine, from a region not normally known for its rosés, has plenty of depth, and therefore compliments shellfish well (hey, we do live in New England, after all). Hard to place the fruit flavors, but that just adds to its versatility.

1997 Castello di Ama Rosato Toscano ($11.99, Bauer). Very high in alcohol compared to most rosés (13.5 percent), this toothsome wine is reminiscent of watermelon down toward the rind, and has that color, too. It will go well with lemon-zested shellfish, even horseradish sauce, owing to its exquisite tartness.

Vin du Bugey Cerdon (nonvintage; $14.99, the Wine Cask). Wow! Redolent of violets, with a lushness that recalls an idyllic strawberry shortcake. Not deep, but friendly. Low in alcohol (7.5 percent), it goes down effortlessly and makes a fine accompaniment to shellfish, or even dessert. A great breakfast wine.

1998 Domaine Faillenc Sainte Marie Rosé des Glaciere (Pays d'Oc) ($12.49, Martignetti's). Refreshing and quite fruity, strawberry with a hint of rhubarb and watermelon. Great served super-cold on a hot, humid day by the ocean. I had it with shrimp, and it was bumping. Very clean flavors. To savor.

1997 Chateau Pradeaux Bandol ($19.99, Marty's). Very light in color, very dry and minerally. A biting wine that finishes long and hard. Good with swordfish, tuna, and mahi mahi. Memorable.

Domaine du Poujol 1998 Coteaux du Languedoc ($7.99, Martignetti's, the Wine Cask). A light and slightly fizzy wine, not particularly fruity (although the 1998 is deeper than the 1997), but with a fierce bite. Refreshing when properly chilled, it works well with sausages or grilled-veggie skewers.

David Marglin can be reached at wine[a]phx.com.

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