San Huberto Rosé 2014
Riebeek Cellars Cape Rosé 2014
“This wine rains kisses in your mouth.” –Insatiable By Gael Greene
The first Wednesday of every month is Wine Wednesday! Spectacular wines under $10.00. Yep. Under $10.00. Sometimes wine is less expensive where I am, but most of the time it’s more expensive (being in a college town and all). Hopefully that means that I will pick wines that are well below the $10.00 limit for most of you.
I will post wines that I particularly like. I am no specialist by any means, but I do love wine. I know the basics of the different varietals, what regions generally produce, how wines are made, but this space is all about preference. We all like what we like, and you might like what I like too. I will post food pairings and why those pairings are suitable for the specific wine.
This week, I’m celebrating Rosé! It’s a perfect refreshing summer wine, and I think that means we need at least two to pick from. Just in time for the Fourth!
San Huberto Rosé 2014
Price: $8.99
Variety: Malbec
Riebeek Cellars Cape Rosé 2014
Price: $9.99
Variety: Pinotage
Rosé is definitively the drink of summer. Especially this summer. Have you noticed that? If you have an Instagram account, I’m sure you are well aware. And it’s not just because it’s pink. (Although that does make them really pretty)
Rosé is a wine that is made with red wine grapes where the skins have limited contact with the juice. The skin is what gives the color to reds, so this renders the juice a lightly colored pink. The more contact, the darker the color.
Rosé has a bad reputation among the “serious” wine drinkers. That’s probably because you’ve most likely come in contact with it in a plastic bag. Or a huge 1.5 Liter bottle with a cute picture on the front. And it probably tasted like pure juice. But a real rosé wine is nice and tart and dry. Rosé is a perfect middle-man between a white wine and a red wine. The majority of the wine’s character is similar to a white wine, whereas the skin contact imparts a little bit of the darker fruit flavor indicative of a red wine. Add a dry finish and a chilled crispness, and you’ve got yourself a great summer drinking wine!
It’s actually pretty difficult to find dry rosés for a low price. Most of them are imported from France and pretty expensive. But if you look hard enough, there are some real affordable gems. Also, word for the wise, do not look for a dry rosé in the blush wine section. In my experience, only the sugary blush wines are there that you’re more familiar with. The fact that those sections are very close to the “economical” section should be a tip-off!
Now for my monthly wine picks:
The Riebeek rosé is the lighter of the two rosés both in color and in flavor, and it features the Pinotage grape. It’s produced in South Africa, an up and coming wine region. I perceived the main flavor notes as strawberry and green apple. Very crisp!
The San Huberto rosé, an Argentinian wine, uses Malbec grapes with slightly longer skin exposure, so the wine is fruitier. There are dark cherries and raspberries with a dry, smoother finish, though it’s still rather acidic.
Dry rosés pair extremely well with a lot of summer fare, though I prefer them with creamy cheeses and smoked meats. Aka the best thing you can imagine, ever. The salt in the dried meats cuts through the dryness while the creamy cheese can add some richness to the wine. Specifically, I’ve made a tartine with all the best parts. A toasted slice of country bread, a large smear of ricotta cheese, prosciutto, chopped thyme, and a drizzle of honey.
Other great pairings in the way of cheese are Gouda and Havarti. Also, honestly a burger or grilled seafood would work well with rosé wines as well! So rosé all day ladies and gents! Now I can rest easy that your holiday weekend will be boozy and brilliant. U-S-A!
Prosciutto Tartine
Serves 2
2 slices country bread
4 tablespoons ricotta cheese
2 slices prosciutto, roughly chopped
1 sprig of thyme
Honey
Salt
Pepper
1. Toast the bread until golden brown. Smear each slice with two tablespoons of the ricotta. Finely chop the leaves of thyme off of the sprig and divide evenly in half. Sprinkle on top of the cheese.
2. Add a sprinkle of salt and a crack of black pepper to each slice of bread followed by the prosciutto—one chopped slice per sandwich half.
3. Drizzle honey over the top of the each tartine and enjoy!
