Tis the season to drink pink

You’ve probably noticed a resurgence in rosé in recent years, and, as patio season approaches, many wineries are releasing their pink bottles.

Newly releases white wines are out on the shelf — the reds may still be aging for release in the fall — but rosé seems to be having its day in the sun. If you’ve tended to take a pass, rest assured that the overly sweet bottles of vintages past have given way to drier, more sophisticated styles that are both food-friendly, and easy to sip on their own.

But how is rosé made? Not by pouring finished white and reds together, although depending on a country’s wine regulations, that is a possibility.

Pouring a Pinot Gris from one glass into another with Pinot Noir will likely elicit a veiled frown in a tasting room. And the result? You’ve probably ruined two perfectly good glasses of wine.

Typical white wine grapes, like Pinot Gris may be part of the mix, but it’s the skins that are important. Pink wine is made by allowing the skin of the grapes to have some contact with the fermenting juice, but not enough to make it a red wine.

The longer the skin contact — which might be as short as a few hours — the darker the wine; rosés come in range of colours.

Then, there is the saignée method — literally “bleeding” in French — wherein some of the juice is removed after skin contact, which concentrates the flavours and characteristics of the wine.

No matter how it’s produced, rosé wines often have aromas of strawberries, red fruits, a bit of vanilla, and can be “bone” dry to lightly sweet. Try some of these, well chilled, and find your favourite.

Quail’s Gate, Rosé 2017: A blend of Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, this is a pale salmon colour with a delightful nose of grapefruit and red berries. Pair with a spinach salad topped with seasonal berries, roasted hazelnuts, and goat cheese.

Township 7, Rosé 2017: Very aromatic notes of rhubarb and strawberry, a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. A more structured rosé, the finish is refreshing with nice minerality and stone fruit flavours.

Road 13, Honest John’s Rosé, 2017: A very vibrant garnet colour may lead you to believe this is sweet, but, in fact, this wine has many complex fruit flavours, from berries to watermelon to a touch of apricot. So of course, pairing with a trendy watermelon salad is perfect.

Evolve Cellars, Pink Effervescence: Why not have some pink bubbly? Pinot Blanc with just a hint of Merlot; have a bottle chilling in the fridge for a spontaneous celebration. It's the ultimate refresher on a hot day with an organic popsicle.

At around $20 a bottle, buy all four, invite some friends over, and have a drink pink night.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.