When was the last time you had rosé? Our friends invited us over for a dinner party on what turned out to be one of the hottest days of the summer in San Francisco. We had spent the majority of the day in the heat and very few homes in San Francisco have air conditioning, so something light and refreshing was called for – rosé of course!
As we perused the selections at our neighborhood K&L Wine Merchants we noticed an abundance of rosé. Clayton’s motto became – “think pink!” We thought it would be fun to make the evening an educational experience for all involved, so we choose three “staff picks” from different regions: Germany, Provence, and Corsica. When we discovered that Filipino lumpias (similar to spring rolls made with rice paper) were on the menu we knew we had made the right decision!
Josef Leitz Pinot Noir Rosé, 2014 (Germany, $15.99)
We have enjoyed dry riesling from Josef Leitz in the past with Asian food, so naturally we wanted to try his Rosé. Everyone at the party commented on how much they liked this wine. The color was peachier compared to the other two. It had a lot of strawberry, rhubarb, and a slight effervescence.
Chateau les Valentines “Le Caprice de Clementine” Cotes de Provence Rosé, 2014 (Provence, $15.99)
The Château les Valentines is certified organic, a typical Provence 50/50 blend of Cinsault and Grenache, and was the crispest of the three. The acidity helped it to stand up to food the best.
Terra Santa Ile de Beaute Rosé, 2014 (Corsica, $9.99)
The Terra Santa is made of 100% Sciaccarellu, a grape varieties that is native to Corsica. It was the most quaffable of the three. We would recommend getting it really cold and sitting by a pool with this one.