Wine Tip: Refreshing Wine for Super Hot Summer Days

It's still hot as blazes out, and will be for some time, so if you're a wine drinker, you want something cool and refreshing, right?

I've got just the thing for you. I know many folks defer to white wine when the weather turns hot, but I'd like to suggest a more interesting alternative -- Rosé! Not white zinfandel, mind you, but real, true Rosé.

I start off every summer by giving my friends this list of 5 Reasons You Should Be Drinking Rosé This Summer

1. It has the body and flavor of a light, dry red, but the cool, crisp refreshing finish of a white.

Rosé is made using red wine grapes, which gives Rosé its body and flavor. The dark grape skins are allowed only brief contact with the juice, and this gives the wine its pretty pink-ish hue. It can be bone dry, or have just a touch of sweetness. Rosé is meant to be drunk young, so don’t hesitate to choose bottles from the most recent vintage you find, and chill it like you would a white wine.
When it’s hot out and I’m choosing a wine to please both palates, I choose Rosé.

2. It’s versatile with many foods.

Because of its crisp acidity, it’s a nice complement to many foods. Dry Rosé pairs with almost anything. And I have tried it with almost everything you’d think of eating in the summer -- light summer pasta with veggies, burgers and hot dogs (yes, hot dogs!) from the grill, easy summer salads, ham and cheese biscuits, gourmet mac-and-cheese, French fries, and pepperoni pizza, to name a few. The list of food Rosé pairs well with goes on and on.

3. It’s great on it’s own, no food required!

Again, with its cool, crisp, refreshing finish and bright fruit flavors, Rosé is de-lovely and delightful all by itself. Excellent as an apéritif, or to sip with friends outside on a hot summer evening, when there is no thought of food at all.

4. It’s relatively inexpensive.

Rosé seems to be enjoying more of a serious look these days as more people become educated about it, but many still see it and think, “ugh, white zinfandel,” so it’s not always an easy sell for wine retailers. Which means you’ll find some real values if you search around a little.

5. It’s fun to drink.

Because it’s the best of both worlds -- cool and refreshing, but with more body and flavor than many whites, and oh-so-pretty (you know it’s true). Rosé just flat out puts me in a summer frame of mind, even when I’m drinking it in the dead of winter, and that makes it kind of magical.

So be brave, go out and get some Rosé, and toast the summer!