What better way to enjoy the these warm days than with a chilled glass of Rosé, even though the temperature has been falling down into the mid to high eighties? There is no wine that I consistently drink and enjoy more than this wonderfully dry, orangey/pink wine. What is even better is that it seems I am not alone in my appreciation of this style of wine. After many years of pleading with our wine guests to not put these terrific wines of France, Italy, Spain, South America and yes, California in the same sentence as…gulp White Zinfandel. It has been a long, hard road but dry Rosé sales are absolutely on the rise and nowhere is that more evident than in our state of Florida. With the eight to ten months of beautifully warm and downright hot months, these chilled wines really hit the spot, both as a quaffing wine and as one of the best all-around wines with food.

These two wines, Tantini’s Bardolino Chiaretto Rosé and Domaine Mourchon Cotes du Rhone Rosé, are what I have been drinking a lot of this spring and summer; both are full of flavor, balance and clean crisp acidity. The bad news is we are out of the Mourchon, but hope we will be getting some of the new vintage sometime in the future. The good news is we have many other lovely Rosés to choose from along with the excellent Rosé from Giovanna Tantini.

Tonight I will be grilling a few freshly cut, thick slices of porkloin generously seasoned with homegrown thyme, rosemary and garlic, cooked to medium and served with grilled veggies and a bottle of the Chiaretto…can’t wait!

So, if you are looking for a great wine whether it is with dinner, the remote control and a baseball game or with your friends by the pool, make one of the many good wines you choose be from the Rosé section of your local ABC.

Cheers!

Ken Amendola, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Wine Supervisor

Follow him on Twitter @abcwinekena