While working in Georgia at a vineyard tasting room, yes you heard correct, Georgia, as in the state above us. I was reintroduced to rosé. I had a fear of pink wine. I always thought of rosé as sweet and sticky. But to my surprise, I was told to “shut up and try this” and when I did I couldn’t believe my taste buds. Flavors of strawberries, cranberry, and a little spice swirled in my glass. What had I been missing out on? I eventually came to find out, a lot. All I could think was, this is red wine for the summer. The vineyard I worked at used the saignee (French for bleed) method of extraction. That is to say it is a production that involves bleeding off the juice after limited contact with the skins. Who knew that rosé wines could be so yummy?

After leaving Georgia I had a chance to find so many more rosé wines to try. I found that there were a few from the US that quenched my thirst, including a couple Pinot Noir rosés from California. Then I found Provence and Tavel. That is where I set up shop for drinking fine roses. At ABC we carry Chateau Montaud Rosé from Provence and Dom des Carteres Tavel Rosé. Two different areas of France and two different flavor profiles. I have to highly recommend both of these wines--and I only recommend what I have tasted.

It’s getting hot outside—it’s time to put down the reds for a little while, at least during the day. It’s time to try something new, and maybe a little pink. You should come check out what we have available. If you’re not sure what is sweet or dry, just ask your local wine consultant. I know what I’ll be having tonight.

Kathleen Anderson, North/West Wine Supervisor. Follow Kathleen on Twitter: @ABCwinekat