Rosé Colored Glasses

Photo By Bonnie Walker

This past Saturday I had the privileged to sit on the panel of the Rambling Rosé event at Becker Vineyards.  It is a annual ritual we do with the CULINARIA and our host Dr. Richard and Bunny Becker to celebrate the arrival of the new vintage of Provençal!  Having participated for several years now I have a three lessons to share with you.

First; the Becker Vineyards Provençal is excellent!  Year after year we taste it blind, side by side with great rosé wines from around the world.  The Provençal is always equal to better than the other rosés.  This year there were two rosés from the south of France and it was difficult to tell them apart from the Provencal.  Kudos to the entire team at Becker Vineyards.

Second; most people do not know what to think of rosé colored wines in their glasses. "Is it sweet?" "Am I less of a man when my friends see me drinking this pink stuff."  In our culture 'pink wine' in synonymous with White Zinfandel a sweet and unsophisticated wine with a love/hate relationship with the wine community; some people love it others hate it.  In other cultures rosé wines are consumed just like light beer is enjoyed here; ice cold by the glassfuls after a long hard day at work in the sun and heat, preferably in a rowdy bar with your friends while watching sports, by men, manly men who will kick your derrière if you make fun of them for drinking 'pink wine.'

Third; Rosé wines like the Provençal are completely dry (the opposite of sweet) and when made right they have all the complexity and flavor of a red wine only with the volume or intensity level turned down.  The best will have earthyness, smoky notes, red and black fruits only in a "sotto-voce" way.  Like the definition of sotto-voce "intentionally lowering one's voice for emphasis" the winemaker is making a wine that shows you more of what the vines have to offer through a whisper rather than a shout.  There are many a occasion and meals that call for this liquid whisper.  Today; don't we need a bit less shouting?

So, chill down a bottle of Povençal for yourself, pull the cork and listen a some fine classic music: Ladies and Gentelmen; MR. JOHN CON-LEE...

If you just got to have the Provencal right now come out to The Westin La Catera Resort to see me and taste the Mourvedre Rosé, Dry, Becker Vineyards, “Provençal”, Texas, 2010:  twelve
 dollars  for a six ounce glass and forty-seven a bottle.
And please reply to this blog; is Rosé  your  favorite wine?