We’ve entered a new year,a new decade and, according to the Chinese zodiac, traded the pig for the rat, but our obsession with the rosé trend remains unchanged. We asked Elisa Weber-Saintin, the sales manager for Highland Park-based Little Guy Wine Co., for her take on the blush libation’s enduring, year-round appeal.
ϲͼ: When did rosé become so popular?
Elisa Weber-Saintin: Rosé has been trending in the wine world for a number of years now, but it tipped over into regular culture a couple summers ago. We’ve now had the second or third summer that people aren’t thinking of rosé as White Zinfandel anymore. It used to be thought of as a woman’s drink. Now, it’s hip and something that men and women drink.
Does it deserve all the hype?
It’s really good. Rosé has this tradition of being dry, and rosé wines go with a lot of different foods and circumstances. They’re good for people who like white wine, because you drink it chilled, but people who drink red wine like it because it has a little more body than a white and is more refreshing in the summer. Also, millennials are a huge group of wine-drinkers and don’t have any stigma attached to rosé, so it’s become really hip now year-round.
Help an amateur differentiatebetween types of rosé.
Southern France (Provence) has always been known for rosé wines. They are these really light, onion-skin, (almost orange in tone) rosés that are extremely dry and really refreshing. Some Spanish rosés, or other rosés made from thick-skinned varietals like Cabernet, Syrah, or Malbec, can get really dark in color. Lighter color means more tart flavors, while a darker pink is weightier and more ripe
and fruity.
Can you give us a fewrecommendations?
Three that I like are the “Rubentis” Getariako Txakoli from Ameztoi winery in Eitzaga, Spain; Rosé Cuvée Tradition from Clos Cibonne winery in Côtes de Provence, France; and Vin Gris from Birichino Vineyards in Santa Cruz, California.
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