{"id":13738,"date":"2012-07-15T09:14:15","date_gmt":"2012-07-15T14:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vinesleuth.com\/uncorked\/?p=2142"},"modified":"2012-07-15T09:14:15","modified_gmt":"2012-07-15T14:14:15","slug":"a-primer-on-rose-wines-and-a-special-rose-menu-at-philippe-in-houston","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.momstoolbox.com\/blog\/a-primer-on-rose-wines-and-a-special-rose-menu-at-philippe-in-houston\/","title":{"rendered":"A Primer on Ros\u00e9 Wines"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It\u2019s hot. Especially down here in Texas.<\/p>\n

And for those not afraid of pink wine, that means it is time for a glass of cool, crisp ros\u00e9 wine. And for those who are afraid, it means that it is time for you to give it a try.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a little info on ros\u00e9 wine to get started:<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, stop thinking about White Zinfandel in a box. Get that out of your mind.<\/p>\n

Have you done that yet? Okay good. Let\u2019s proceed….<\/p>\n

Are all ros\u00e9s sweet?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No.<\/p>\n

Some ros\u00e9s are bone dry, some are moderately fruity and some, yes some, are sweet and fruity. But forget about that bubblegum wine spritzer flavor. That\u2019s not what you will find in the ros\u00e9s we are talking about here.<\/p>\n

Now that we have that clear, I\u2019ve enlisted the help of the uber award-winning Sommelier Vanessa Trevi\u00f1o-Boyd of Philippe Restaurant + Lounge<\/a>. I’ve shared a bit from Vanessa before<\/a> and was eager to chat with her again.<\/p>\n

She has crafted a special wine list at Philippe for the summer including 11 ros\u00e9 wines by the glass (or bottle) and is ready to tell us all about them.<\/p>\n

This lady knows her stuff, and Food & Wine agrees, as it named her one of the top 7 sommeliers of 2012.<\/p>\n

So here’s some info to get you started…<\/p>\n

Why are ros\u00e9s pink?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vanessa explained that ros\u00e9 wines are made very much as red wines are made. The only exception being that the juice has less contact with the grape skins, resulting in less tannins and, of course, less color from the grape. This makes the wine pink rather than red.<\/p>\n

Why are ros\u00e9 wines great for the summer heat?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vanessa explained that ros\u00e9 wines often have a great acidity to them and that acidity is what she believes drives a wine to be refreshing and vibrant. She also said their temperature makes them perfect for summer… Ros\u00e9 wines are served cold and stored at 40 degrees.<\/p>\n

Wondering what to eat with rose wines?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cLobster.\u201d Vanessa says. Because of it\u2019s medium body and medium light fruitiness, she recommends Stift Gottweig from Austria<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Since I don\u2019t get to enjoy lobster every day (or even every week) I asked for another food pairing suggestion for ros\u00e9.<\/p>\n

\u201cMargarita pizza,\u201d she countered.<\/p>\n

First she suggested a rose from Provence to go with it, but then she switched to the Castell-Reynoard from Bandol<\/strong> because it is full bodied and bold, explaining that it would go great with that bit of char that is often on the crust of pizza.<\/p>\n

Wow. I had never ever even thought of trying to complement that<\/em> flavor… so now of course she really has me curious!<\/p>\n

In Houston and want to give rose wines a try?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now through the end of August, Philippe is offering 11 ros\u00e9s by the glass, ranging in price from $7 to $15, with the bottles ranging from $28 to $64.<\/p>\n

They have ros\u00e9s from Spain, France, Austria, and Italy, all arranged on the menu from more to less fruity, crisp and light to fuller-bodied to help you navigate. And their waitstaff or Vanessa are willing to help, too.<\/p>\n

A few benchmark rose wines offered on the list Vanessa crafted at Philippe include:<\/strong><\/p>\n