I know it’s not rosé season. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I sit in front of a roaring fire as I write this, but I can’t stop thinking about drinking a frosty glass of Triennes rose. I’m thinking about how its soft melon-colored floral acidity flushed down slow, languid bites of luscious Morbier cheese in a crisp green salad.

And what better to go with maple-cured bacon steak along with fish tacos and sandwiches made from roast turkey or hammered pork? It’s perfect for brunch!

In winter, it’s versatile enough for carrot soup or bloody mary meatloaf. Or both in one sitting. It’s even hearty enough to accompany the strong and melty raclette cheese. And I’d drink it with a light fruit dessert such as stone fruit clafoutis.

So turns out, it is rosé season after all.

 

My favorite summer wine is rosé. Its lovely pink hue and delicate flavor win me over at almost every meal, as it flirts with me from the bottle; I just can’t’ say no to it. It’s as refreshing as a crisp white on a hot day, but slightly big enough with a few tannins and flavors from the red grape skins to complement grilled meats, heavy meats, grilled vegetables and summer desserts. Rosé will pair up with almost anything, making it the summer wench of wine.

My favorite rosés are those that are light in color and alcohol, but medium to high in acidity. Rosés from Provence are the originals, and could easily be called the best. Triennes rosé is a favorite of mine, made from Cinsault blended with Grenache, Syrah and Merlot. It’s light yet flavorful and is the perfect accompaniment to a summer dinner.

Another rosé I love is from Bodegas Muga in Rioja. This one is a darker pink color; a rosy-cheeked minx, with a heavier flavor that can stand up to meats and cheese, but still having that bright kick of acidity.

 

And finally, a California rosé I love is from Verdad Wines in the Sana Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara county. Louisa Lindquist makes this European style rose from the Garnacha grape of Spain, with an alcohol level of 11%. It rivals these French rosés in all the things I love about rosé wines, with the bonus that I can buy locally! My local harlot…

Try finding one of these rosés, and pair it with your favorite summer meals. You’ll see that even though she gets around; she really is the best companion on a summer evening.

In Alabama, cold drinks are mandatory near the close of each work day…or maybe I should say just somewhere around 3 pm, when the day is at its hottest… and its humidest (and this is what humidity does to your brain in Alabama).

Several factors influenced the ingredients in this particular drink:

• I had just driven through North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia with my dad, where ripe peaches were everywhere.
• Earlier in the summer, I drank a fabulous tomato-hot pepper-peach-white wine cocktail at Palmina Winery and wanted more.
• I had just transported some beautiful cherry tomatoes grown in my friend’s garden from North Carolina.
• My personal Alabama chef had left me plenty of cilantro and lime, left over from his lovely grilled salmon dinner and his breakfast frittata (read about brunch in Alabama here).
• It was hot. And humid. And nearing the end of the day – ok it was afternoon and that’s good enough.

So, in the high heat and humidity of this Southern afternoon, I had the idea to mix fresh tomato juice, muddled peaches, lime, simple syrup, cilantro and Sauvignon Blanc into one good-lookin’ tall drink of wine. Or do I mean good-lookin’ tall drink of water? The wine or my chef? I forget now, it was so hot.

I also tried it with a dry frizzante Rosé (which is slightly sparkling) above, that I got from a visit to Raffaldini Vineyards in North Carolina’s Yadkin Valley. I loved the color of this one, and the small bubbly feel. (You could get this effect in the white version using a little club soda.)

Whichever version or combination you choose to create (get more ideas here), it’s sure to cure all your ills. But it certainly won’t help your grammar.

More:

• Brunch in Montgomery, Alabama

The town of Los Olivos in the Santa Ynez Valley is full of drunks. Although it is the most charming city in this picturesque valley in Santa Barbara wine country, it’s full of quantity-loving wine tasters. There are no stoplights in town, only one main intersection with an American flag waving above the tasting rooms, cute country shops and small cafés. Visitors can walk from tasting room to tasting room, with only a few steps between them. It’s a wino’s heaven; we try to avoid it at all costs.

However, there are reasons to make the trip to town. One big reason is the Ethan, Qupe Verdad Wines tasting room (other days it’s Andrew Murray, Tre Anelli or Carhartt, and possibly most of all, Enjoy Cupcakes). Well-known winemaker and Rhône Ranger pioneer Bob Lindquist is behind the Qupé label, his son makes the Ethan label, his wife Louisa makes Verdad wines, and his daughter Paige is the tasting room manager (his other son Luke also makes wine at Tres Hermanas Winery). Syrah is running through their veins, or at least was in the kids’ sippy cups.

This is reason enough to try the wines: wine making pervades the family. And it’s apparent. Ethan’s Syrah and Grenache (especially from the newly Demeter Certified Biodynamic Sawyer-Lindquist Vineyard) are superb. Qupé Syrahs are classic and strong, and I love the Qupé Marsanne, a round, full Rhône-style white that’s fragrant yet still crisp.

Right now my favorite wine on the list is the Verdad Rosé, made from 100% Grenache, and from the aforementioned Amazing Sawyer-Lindquist Vineyard. This wine is just so pretty, and perfect for summer (and post-summer) drinking and food-pairing. And made at 12.1% alcohol, this is a European-style-low-alcohol-lover’s dream.

The family also has a wine club you can join, as do most wineries in California, but the Lindquist bunch offers something better: a Magnum club. Ok now, I definitely want to join the family.