Rosato!

I’m in Phoenix as I write this entry, and it was over a hundred degrees today. Yes, it’s dry heat, but well over a hundred is still hot by any standard! But, at least I got a little preparation over the weekend when summer finally arrived in Boston. We reached the upper 80s and my thoughts turned to summer wines and foods. It’s rosé time!

A couple of Wednesdays ago (flag day!), we attended a wine dinner at
Sel de la Terre in Boston titled "Rosé Colored Glasses," which of course, featured rosés. The restaurant throws regular “Wine Wednesdays” that match reasonably priced wines with a fixed price meal for $45. It’s one of the greatest dinner bargains in Boston. Erik Johnson, Wine Director for both Sel de La Terre and L’Espalier is the enthusiastic host. He explains the wines and the matches thoroughly and engagingly. It’s a great way to try a series of new wines matched with perfect food combinations.

The menu:

first course
Louis Bouillot, Rosé, Crémant de Bourgogne, Burgundy
Rosé poached shrimp and andouille terrine with grilled focaccia and pipérade

My favorite match of the night, the terrine was an unusual and successful combination of shrimp and sausage that really brought out the best in the wine. This wine is made in the Champagne style and in addition to the cranberry and floral notes of a good rosé, it had a honeyed richness in the finish.

second course
2005 Houchart, Rosé, Côtes de Provence
Duck rillette and confit beet with arugula pine nut pesto

Another successful match, the duck was the favorite dish for many of my fellow dinners and its richness combined well with the earthiness of the beets and pesto. The wine, a classic French Provencal rosé has earthy and herbal notes that match well with the flavors, but enough fruit and crisp acidity to provide contrast.

main course
2005 Crios de Susana Balbo, "Rosé of Malbec", Argentina
Roasted prime rib with twice baked fingerling potatoes and caramelized shallot jus

Perhaps the most surprising match of the night, this course proved that the right rosé can indeed stand up to, and complement a classic meat dish. The full red version of an Argentinean Malbec is a well-known match for roasted and barbequed beef, and the rosé version lightens its body and adds a dose of food enhancing acidity. A dark and deeply colored rosé, this wine offers intense red fruit flavors and is powerful enough to convert red wine zealots into rosé drinkers.

cheese course
2004 Château d'Aquéria, Rosé, Tavel, Rhône
Crater Lake Blue, Oregon

Tavel is the quintessential French rosé, and Château d'Aquéria is one of its best producers. Bone dry and salmon-pink in color, this wine has floral and fruit fragrances along with requisite acidity to contrast the richness and salty bite of the blue cheese.

special dessert à la carte
White chocolate crème caramel with port cherries and croquant 2004 Rosa Regale, Brachetto d’Acqui, Piedmont, Italy
The wine dinner does not include dessert, but a $7 supplement brings this special dessert and another $9 adds a glass of Brachetto d’Acqui. In this dish, the white chocolate adds a wonderful silkiness and mouth feel to the crème caramel (instead of the cloying sweetness that is all too common with white chocolate), the port cherries provide the flavor bridge to the
Brachetto d’Acqui.


A Rosé Recommendation
While the list above provides a good group of rosés for initial exploration, I’d like to close with a new find. It’s Bastianich 2005 Rosato from Friuli-Venezia-Giulia in Italy. This winery is owned by Joseph Bastianich who is the son of Lidia Bastianich (restaurateur and TV chef) and partner of Mario Batali (another restaurateur and TV chef). He also wrote the book “Vino Italiano,” which in my opinion is easily the best book on Italian wines on the market. I’ve been a fan of his wines since I first tried them and I especially like his “Vespa” super-Fruilian blend of white grapes. 2005 is the first vintage for his stellar Rosato. It’s made from Refosco, an obscure red grape found in northern Italy. The result is a medium-bodied, intensely colored rosé with a complex and extremely attractive nose of rose petals, violets and plums. On the palate, plumy red fruit flavors predominate in a long finish of surprising depth and complexity. It’s the perfect wine to match with an antipasti plate when sitting on the back deck!

I first found the wine at the Wine Bottega at 341 Hanover Street in Boston’s North End. The Wine Bottega is a great source for unusual Italian wines and its staff is very knowledgeable, friendly and informative. Closer to home,
Beverly Wine and Beer Company carries the Rosato for $14.99. Beverly Wine is run by Kurt and Sabrina Reming, and I highly recommend them as a source solid reasonably priced wine. (They also carry some wonderful high end bottles). Kurt and Sabrina host wine tastings every Saturday afternoon, and Sabrina writes a great weekly newsletter that has stories and recipes along with their weekly wine specials. You can find out more at their web site: www.beverlywine.com.