Rosé finally has arrived. Winemakers seem determined to dispel the bad rap of yesteryear through careful use of old school Rhône varietals like Syrah and Grenache, or their quality red wine standbys that serve as a great base for a Rosé as well. They are crafting wines that are dry, sweet, flavorful, balanced and very food friendly. Red and white drinkers rejoice! This wine type is perfect for the warmer days of Spring and Summer, whose arrival we are eagerly anticipating.

For this wine panel, we tasted four wines from around the new and old World regions. Varied results follow, but overall the Panel was surprised at how much they enjoyed Rosé, and for the first time EVER, they finished every bottle! It was a rosey cheeked finale.

I also used this Panel as an excuse to craft some Rosé-friendly recipes, putting to alternate use a couple of the wines. See the recipes after the Panel's tasting notes.

Wine 1: Columbia Crest 2007 Two Vines Vineyard 10° Rosé Wine, Washington State, ~$16 (Syrah blend)

Taster 1 /
Sniff: sweet with raspberry
Taste: dry and sweet raspberry spritz
Overall Conclusion: good drink for a hot summer night

Taster 2 /
Sniff: Sweet, fruity (berry). Some tartness
Taste: Less sweet than initial smell; some tartness, some acidity
Overall Conclusion: Average tasting rose. I rank it 3 out of 4.

Taster 3 /
Sniff: florals at first, then turns into body odor
Taste: citrus & honey, sweet spritz
Overall Conclusion: yum at first, then turned hateful in smell, like walking through a greenhouse and into a locker room

Taster 4 /
Sniff: it smelled really sweet and fruity and I was scared.
Taste: it has a bittery taste, like unsweetened cranberry…taste got worse and worse with every sip.
Bottle Design: it was a nice simple design, but the flower image was cheesy.
Overall Conclusion: I am going to block this out of my memory.

Taster 5 /
Sniff: strawberry, blackberry
Taste: sharp, but sweet and tangy
Overall Conclusion: fruity, a bit too sweet

Taster 6 /
Sniff: strawberry, rhubarb, vegetal, bramble
Taste: dry, red raspberry, strawberry, slight spritz
Overall Conclusion: (clear light ruby) light, good wine with a salad, 4th

Wine 2: Zaza 2007 Garnacha Rosé, Campo de Borja DO, Spain ~$9.99

Taster 1 /
Sniff: mild sweet black cherry
Taste: bitter sweet with tart finish
Overall Conclusion: slightly bitter/sour possibly creamy after opened for a bit

Taster 2 /
Sniff: Milder smell, less fruity
Taste: Sweet, citrus
Overall Conclusion: This wine is the sweetest tasting of the four. I ranked it as my second favorite of four.

Taster 3 /
Sniff: spritzy & fresh
Taste: light, less pronounced taste
Overall Conclusion: stable taste & smell, good value at $9.99

Taster 4 /
Sniff: the smell was nice. Better than #1.
Taste: smooth, a nice bite afterwards. Better than #1.
Bottle Design: I bought this bottle, but the label is stupid.
Overall Conclusion: momma like.

Taster 5 /
Sniff: sharp
Taste: smooth, fruity, grapefruit, delightful
Overall Conclusion: surprisingly pleasant, best---would give it 9 out of 10 points

Taster 6 /
Sniff: oak, strawberry
Taste: spritz, dry, strawberry, red cherry, slight lemon
Overall Conclusion: (clear pink) a well balanced wine, grew on me, 3rd

Wine 3: Crios de Susana Balbo 2007 Rosé of Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina ~$12.99

Taster 1 /
Sniff: smokey sweet fruity
Taste: cranberry tart
Overall Conclusion: sour with a long after taste

Taster 2 /
Sniff: Smells like artificial strawberry (like Flinstones vitamins!);
Taste: Has the strongest “alcohol” flavor; acidic, yet velvety on the tongue. A bit of a surprising taste, because it is so strong.
Overall Conclusion: This wine was my least favorite.

Taster 3 /
Sniff: strong acid, dirty
Taste: smoother than it smells, spicy finish
Overall Conclusion: not too shabby

Taster 4 /

Sniff: the smell was weak. Like box wine. But out of the bottle.
Taste: it had a vomit after taste, with a dash of cranberry…like hang over morning breath.
Bottle Design: it was ok. No big woop.
Overall Conclusion: on a scale from 1-5, a big fat 1.

Taster 5 /
Sniff: acrid, sour fruit
Taste: simple, not sweet, heavy
Overall Conclusion: too "boozy"

Taster 6 /
Sniff: plum, spice, pepper, wet soil
Taste: blackberry, black cherry, strawberry, raspberry, dry
Overall Conclusion: (clear, light ruby) most flavorful, good food wine, 2nd

Wine 4: Les Domaniers de Puits Mouret 2006 Côtes de Provence Contrôlee Rosé, France ~$19.99

Taster 1 /
Sniff: bitter smell non-specific
Taste: real soft finish creamy caramel
Overall Conclusion: easy session drinking despite the smell

Taster 2 /
Sniff: Worst smell of the four wines. Almost like a chemical perm!
Taste: Tastes the best – not too acidic, sweet or tart.
Overall Conclusion: The best of the four. I like the light pink color.

Taster 3 /
Sniff: mothballs
Taste: very light, smell tampers with the fine taste though
Overall Conclusion: complex and intriguing, you definitely acquire a taste for it over time, the expensiveness of it makes you think it’s better than it is, possibly

Taster 4 /
Sniff: this smelled like poo. Like my guinea pig “steve’s” poo, to be specific.
Taste: surprisingly, this had the best taste of the 4. I hate Rosé – I like white wines – but this tastes the closest to that.
Bottle Design: the graphic itself is not great, but the size of the label was interesting.
Overall Conclusion: my favorite, I think.

Taster 5 /
Sniff: very sharp
Taste: sour, assaults the palate
Overall Conclusion: too sharp

Taster 6 /
Sniff: oak, yeast, lemon
Taste: lemon, light flavors, mild
Overall Conclusion: (very pale pink and yellow) not as flavorful as the rest, did surprise with pleasingly taste after smelling the aromas, may be a good alternative to a white wine. 1st

Recipes
(served 7)

Spring Vegetable Chopped Salad with Rosé Vinaigrette

1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
6 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium orange pepper, cored and diced
1 head of Radicchio, chopped
2 tangerines, seeds removed and chopped
5 small tomatoes, chopped
2 avocados, pitted, peeled, sliced and chopped
2 large endive, sliced into rings
1 shallot, diced

Dressing /
1 t Herbs de Provence
8 T of extra virgin olive oil
5 T of Rosé, I used the Crios de Susana Balbo
2 T raspberry wine vinegar (French, if available)
Salt & pepper to taste

Mix all of the vegetables in a very large bowl (wooden if you have it). Combine dressing ingredients in a separate medium bowl and whisk for about a minute. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. This salad is crisp, fresh, sweet, tangy and herby.

Rosé Risotto with Porcini mushrooms and Leeks

1 package of dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/2 cup)
2 T olive oil
2 large leeks diced
3 T butter
5 cups vegetable broth
10 Saffron strands
1.5 cups risotto rice (Arborio)
3/4 cup Rosé, I used the Les Domaniers de Puits Mouret
1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese
1/2 cup shredded Pecorino Romano cheese

The trick to risotto is attention---you need to stir the entire time you're cooking the rice, allowing the starch to slowly release, resulting in a tender rice with an al dente center. Should take about 20 minutes active cooking aka stirring time.

Fill a bowl with warm water and add the dried mushrooms. Soak for 30 minutes. Strain away the flavored water (may be saved for a broth if you'd like).

Heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the leeks and saute for about 8-10 minutes, until almost clear. Add the butter. While the butter is melting, pour a cup of broth in a mug or small microwaveable bowl, and heat in micro until it's warm enough to drink. Add the saffron to this broth and stir. Heat remaining broth over a medium heat. Add the rice to the leeks and stir. Add the wine and stir until steam lessens. Now begins the stirring. Add the cup of saffron infused broth. Stir until almost all is absorbed. Gradually add the remaining broth, one cup at a time, stirring in between each addition until the broth is absorbed. As the starch releases you'll notice a creamy coat wrapping around the rice. This is good. Don't allow the rice to get bogged down by too much broth at once. Allow the broth to slowly absorb. After all of the broth is added, add the mushrooms and cheeses. Stir to melt cheeses. Serve this creamy, earthy risotto immediately.