Rosé is not a new concept. Some of the very first wines in recorded history were some form of pink.
Millennia ago, grapes were not separated by color and instead red and white grapes blended together were the norm. Today, most pink wines are made from red grapes that attain their shade by resting on their skins (a process called maceration) for a shorter amount of time (hours or days) than would a red wine (weeks or months).
Given all its storied history, the popularity of rosé continues to rise.
Once sentenced to a small section on the shelf and almost exclusively marketed to a particular gender, rosé is now mainstream, with new products seemingly released daily as more wineries and influencers try to cash in on the trend.
What gets lost in all the new product launches and Instagram-hype is that pink wine is a serious wine — as serious as it is diverse.
Enjoy the pictured three examples that are sure to fit the occasion.
The Pale, Rosé By Sacha Lichine
Not many winemakers have their names on the front label, but then again, not many winemakers are Sacha Lichine. Listing his accomplishments in the world of wine would exceed my allocated word count, but readers familiar with rosé will know him as the creator of the ubiquitous (and delicious) “Whispering Angel” — a brand that launched a renaissance of French rosé in the mid-aughts. His newest addition to the category (and it is new — what you will see on shelves is the inaugural vintage), “The Pale” is also from Provence and bears many similarities to its predecessor at a more affordable price. It is almost transparent (hence the name), crisp and refreshingly delicate. With all its subtlety, it does not lack in finish and flavor. Cost: Around $16 on the shelf, or grab a glass at Buzz’s Steakhouse in Kailua.
Charles Joguet, Chinon Rosé
While “The Pale” is made up of the lighter grenache, cinsault and vermentino grapes, Charles Joguet’s Chinon Rosé is made exclusively from Cabernet Franc, and its dark color and spicy flavor reflects that. Charles Joguet took over his family’s winery in 1957 and quickly transformed it into one of the most well-respected estates, even among the bounty of food and wine of the Loire Valley (often called “The Garden of France”). The grapes are organically farmed, and great care is taken to ensure the explosive aromatics of licorice and watermelon seed stay intact during its transformation into pink perfection. It’s got a lot of stuffing and, because of that, it’s one of the few rosés that improves with a few years of cellaring. Cost: About $24.
Unshackled Rosé By The Prisoner Wine Company
What “Whispering Angel” did to bolster rosé in America, “The Prisoner” did for red blends. “Unshackled” is The Prisoner Wine Co.’s latest release and aims to capture a fanbase that might otherwise not be able to afford their more luxury products.
By no means is this a cheap wine. This unique blend of pinot noir, syrah, grenache and mourvèdre is bold, ripe and unapologetically fruit forward. It will satisfy those craving full-flavored, full-bodied rosés.
Cost: Around $20.
