Spanish Rosé’s New and Interesting

There can be no question that wine tastes do change with the seasons. Red wines seem to dominate the winter months while the white wines are more popular during the hot summer months. That however leaves two seasons unaccounted for; Spring and Fall. Red wines do not seem to comfortably fit those seasons and neither do the white wines. What lies between the two extremes are the pink rosé wines,

To make rosé wines, red grapes are crushed, and the juice, which is usually white, is allowed to have limited contact with the skins. It is the skin of red grapes that carry the elements that produce the color in red wines. This limited contact reduces not only the color but most of the tannic (mouth puckering) elements imparted by the skins, resulting in a softer more delicate pink wine.

In the past, all of the worlds dry rosé wines were judged by the wines of the French districts of Tavel and Cotes du Rhone. Why the French rosé wines fell from grace is not really known but their decline was  probably due to the advent of the sweet blush (rosé) Zinfandel that made its appearance in the 1960’s and captured the world of light wines. But fall from grace they did. The period between the 1970’s and the beginning of the 21st century were almost dry rosé-less. In recent years it has been the Spanish winemakers that have resurrected the style and have propelled it to new heights.

2013 Siós Yioles Vellers ($10). The 2013 Siós Yioles Vellers (see ohss) (vee ouless) (Vayess)) is a valiant attempt, and we hope successful, to restore the less sweet rosé wines to their former position as the happy midpoint between the dry red and dry white wines. This wine is a blending of two popular red varieties, 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah, resulting is a wine whose bouquet is a host of flower aromas and a fruit basket of flavors. The wine opens with the aromas of raspberries, strawberries, orange peel, and rose petals. These aromas invite the first sip, which is bright with the flavors of cherry, apple and summer, berries and ends in a mineral laced fruit filled finish. This is one very attractive wine with nothing negative about it. It rests at the midpoint between the red and white wines and can easily accompany almost any meal.

Melior Rosado ($12). The Melior winemakers have learned from the French and Californians how to temper the Tempranillo tendency to go off on its own and occasionally detrimental path, which was probably the basic problem with many of the Spanish wines of the past. Crafted as a rosé rather than as the usual red wine, the Melior Rosado is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Verdejo. This dry, wine displays an inviting pink color which cradles the aroma of summer flowers and ripe red berries all of which carry over to the flavor where they mingle with a hint of cherries. This is a very nice wine that can serve as affordable introduction to the greatly improved rosé wines of Spain and will pair well with any food that calls for a light wine such as  salads, pork dishes and of course, sea food.

Tarantas Sparkling Rosado ($10). Here is a treat for sparkling wine lovers. The Tarantas Sparkling Rosado is a wine of great flavor and character and calls attention to itself by displaying a beautiful and inviting salmon-pink color.  This wine which has been  made from organically grown grapes, presents a very obvious aroma of strawberries backed up by raspberries, and black cherries, all of which beg the first sip. On the palate, the wine displays a medium body, which supports the fruit flavors of berries and peaches. There is also a very positive and excellent bread-like flavor that weaves in and out of the fruit. The Tarantas Sparkling Rosado in an exceptional sparkling wine worth far more than its very affordable price tag indicates.