BARTENDER'S WINE EXPERT:  JOSEPH DELISSIO

 
Many people feel that life has gotten too complicated of late. They find themselves wishing for a time when things were a little simpler, a little more black and white. While it is hard to argue with this yearning for less complication, it must be noted that many of life's pleasures, intricacies, and flavors are very often found in the shades of gray.

Wine follows a similar path. There are basically two types, white and red. Often ignored, however, are the other shades of wine. I am talking, of course, about rosé wines.

At one time, women were considered the main inhabitants of the rosé crowd. After much thought about this phenomenon, I have come to a conclusion about such a statement. Women, for the most part, just might be a little smarter than the rest of the wine drinking community. I say this because they seem to know that there is a treasure trove of wonderful and tasty wines to be found in the rosé family.

Now I am not talking about the popular (in my opinion too popular) 
blush wines such as zinfandel that dominate many retail wine shelves. 
I'm talking about the many wonderful, food friendly, refreshing, crisp, serious and often very reasonably priced ones.

The Navarra region of Spain is home to many wonderful rosé wines, such as Vega Sindoa, or Gran Fuedo. Also from Spain is a refreshing Rosado from Rioja's respected Bodega Muga. Provence, France is another top producer of rosé wines. Here Domane Tempier in Bandol produces a dry and full-bodied rosé that is considered one of the world's best. California is not without good representation from wineries like Napa's Joseph Phelps Winery and the Bonny Doon Winery of Santa Cruz.

There is an overlooked and underused rosé wine that has been one of my personal favorites for decades, that of rosé Champagne and sparkling wines. Moet & Chandon, Charbaut, Schramsberg, and Tattinger produce some of the good ones. At the top end is Cristal Rose from the house of Louis Roederer which retails for about $250.00 per bottle. These wines serve, as good examples that rosé wines are not necessarily inexpensive.