A Passion for Pink

Rock-your-socks-off rosés

By Warren Rojas

2009 Saintsbury Vincent Vin Gris (Courtesy of Saintsbury)

When it comes to summer quaffing, Wine Pro Kelly Magyarics tends to view the world through rosé-colored glasses. “They tend to be perfect in the warmer months, as rosés can be chilled (which in itself offers certain refreshment) and enjoyed alongside picnic fare like ham sandwiches on baguettes as well as grilled foods,” she says of the versatile pours.

Magyarics prefers pinks pressed from pinot noir—she’s a sucker for the “great acidity,” raspberry and strawberry flavors and that “enticing, can’t-quite-put-your-finger-on-it earthy character” pinot provides—making Oregon and California prime targets of her affection. She taps 2008 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Rosé ($18) and 2009 Saintsbury Vincent Vin Gris ($15) as two, solid West Coast performers worth exploring now.

Jake Parrott swears by Domaine Sorin’s Terra Amata Rosé ($15), hailing it as “my go-to rosé, every year.” He so enjoys savoring the splashes of “Old World orange,” “melon” and “cherry” expressed by the 2009 vintage, his main concern is that “you may have to crack a second bottle to have any left when dinner’s ready.”

His search for a mature accompaniment during a hectic meal at Ray’s the Steaks—“By the time the wine has opened up, you have to contemplate getting a now-legal doggie bag,” Parrott groused—led him to the 2007 Domaine Ricard Le Vilain Petit Rouge ($18), a malbec-cabernet franc blend that proved “meaty on the nose” yet “fresh, and berried on the palate.”

(June 2010)