The truth about rose

In the seven-plus years since we have opened the dinner party, we have gladly seen the perception of rose change. As these things usually go, sales trends have responded. We have a steady and growing following for pink wine, made in the traditional bone-dry style that has been around for millennia in the old world appellations of Europe. While we carry an array of roses - slightly more in the summer, but with choices available year round - it is always a bit surprising to hear or read that the demand for rose is just getting started and that rose is not readily available.

We know of many restaurants around with rose offerings by the bottle and several by the glass. As we said, we carry many choices of both domestic and international dry rose. So notwithstanding grocery stores, the choices for rose abound here in North Idaho. The days of wine shops and restaurants experimenting with great rose are long past. In a case of supply following demand, they are widely produced, widely available, and demand is still surging. We couldn't be happier!

Here are a few basics for those of you who know of the wine and are curious about the history, and for those new to the style or contemplating trying it for the first time. Today's roses are dry, completely different from the sweet and cloying white Zinfandel. For wines to be considered dry, they are fermented to the point where any sugar remaining is below the threshold where it can be detected by the human palate, usually below one percent.

The best roses do not see any oak barrel ageing; most commonly they are fermented and briefly aged in either stainless steel tank, concrete vat or a combination. Secondary or malolactic fermentation is avoided, opting for crispness over the buttery creamy finish. Rose, while traditionally coming from Grenache and Mourvedre, is now made from almost every red grape varietal.

Rose production started in the south of France in Provence, and even today in one part of Provence, Tavel, only rose production is allowed. The grapes used for pink wine are red; the pale pink color ranging up to deep red rose tones comes from only brief contact with the skins. The juice squeezed from any red grape runs clear; it is only skin contact that begins to give the wine color. By pulling the skins from the wine quickly, usually within 24 hours, the pale-toned wine is created.

Grapes can be grown and harvested specifically to produce rose, or in some cases the pink wine is produced from soignee. The English translation of the French word soignee is "to bleed". When winemakers are producing red wine they will frequently drain or bleed off some of the juice from the skins to concentrate the flavors and colors of the remaining wine. This soignee is then fermented the rest of the way and bottled as rose.

Rose is now produced in virtually every appellation worldwide, and like all wines there are many styles available. Most stylistic differences deal with color and the weight of the wine in the mouth. Although flavors range from the most common strawberry essenced wines all the way up to ripe cherry flavors, dryness and minerality are the consistent character in wine. Pink wines are available across the price spectrum, from $10 up to over $50 per bottle for some of the harder to find French offerings.

As with most every wine varietal and wine style, the most important thing is to start trying some to discover which are your favorites. Again, they are available around town by the glass, so this is a good way to "test drive" dry rose. We feature them whenever possible in our tastings, and the choice of well-priced bottles is extensive enough to begin finding those that suit your taste best.

The summer has been hot, and we have always found with the bone-dry palate, crisp fruit flavors, lack of sugar and oak, dry rose is the perfect accompaniment for hot summer days. Stop by the shop or check with your favorite wine professional about the many choices available. Once you find some "pinks" you enjoy, like so many others, it will become your go-to summer quaffer.

If there is a topic you would like to read about, or if you have questions on wine, you can email [email protected], or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d'Alene Press.

George Balling is co-owner (with his wife Mary Lancaster) of the dinner party, a wine and tabletop decor shop by Costco in Coeur d'Alene. George has also worked as a judge in many wine competitions, and his articles are published around the country. You can learn more about the dinner party at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com. You can get all of these articles and other great wine tips by friending us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.