Rosé all Day…

Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve enjoyed beautiful weather and temperatures have finally breached 65 degrees. Spring may be fleeting, but the temptation to have your glass filled with rosé will last all summer long. This month, we’ll explore two selections that can be enjoyed during the warm weather ahead.

Rosé is the happy medium between white and red wines. It is often a blend of only red grapes, and its color occurs as a result of how long the skins touch the juice during fermentation. 

The history of rosé goes all the way back to ancient Greece. In the 6th century BC, the Phocaeans brought grape vines from Greece to Marseille in the South of France, and the rosé hue was the result of diluted red wines. Over time, the winemaking evolved and rosé as we know it began to take shape. We have the Romans to thank for its rise in popularity throughout the Mediterranean and soon enough Provence became the wine’s epicenter. Although there are many shades of rosé out there, the Provence style is by far the most popular and is now replicated all over the world. Our two selections this month take inspiration from the South of France but are made on home soil. 

You do not have to look far to find our first selection, the sprawling waterfront farm, also known as Macari Vineyards, is in Mattituck, Long Island. Although Long Island is a relatively new wine region — its first vineyard was planted in 1973 — many award-winning wines have been produced in the past 50 years.

Macari Vineyards, a pioneer in the success of the North Fork, focuses on producing wines from Bordeaux grape varieties. Their 2022 rosé is a blend of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot – these dark, thick-skinned grapes create a wine that with limited skin contact shows a delicate pale pink color, reminiscent of Provence. The enticing aromas are filled with summer fruits like watermelon, raspberries, and nectarines. On your palate, it is crisp with a joyful acidity layered with flavors of fresh strawberries, red currant, and rose petals. The 2022 Macari Rosé is perfect as an aperitivo paired alongside bruschetta topped with ricotta cheese. If you are looking to drink this rosé with a meal, look no further than your taco Tuesday featuring cilantro-lime shrimp tacos. 

California has a much longer history of winemaking than Long Island, but with rosé its history is unique. Rosé-style wines became popular in the 1970s under the guise of White Zinfandels, which were a deep pink hue, fruity, and sweet — a far cry from rosés today. Although White Zinfandel saw initial success, it faded due to large production and poor quality. 

It was not until the early 2000s that rosé started to build in popularity and California rosé got a face lift. Napa’s Matthiasson Vineyards 2022 Rosé is a blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Counoise, and Barbera. It has a pale salmon hue, and the aromas that accompany this wine are summer flowers, grapefruit citrus zest, and dried rose petals. The palate is subtle with notes of red fruits like strawberries and raspberries. The acidity is crisp and refreshing, which makes it the perfect accompaniment for brunch-time sipping paired alongside a frittata with goat cheese, tomatoes, and spinach. 

The Matthiasson 2022 Rosé can be found at Wine at Five in downtown Rye. The Macari Rosé can be purchased directly from the vineyard. All our local wine shops a variety of very drinkable selections. 

If you are interested in hosting a wine tasting this summer, visit sommnights.com for more details.