New World Rosé meets French sensibilities

It would seem that if you want to make a French winemaker mad, just mess with his wine…or wine regulations.

The European Union was all set to relax rules on how Rosé wines can be made there, allowing mixtures of red and white wine to create pink instead of the more time-consuming/costly and traditional saignée method where red wine grapes keep their skins on for a bit of a several-hour soak.  The French – as well as angry Italians and Spaniards – lobbied against this “New World” Rosé process and apparently swayed the EU.  Just last month, the EU dropped the issue, never even allowing it to come to a vote. Read more

Rosé Rising

I’ve never been a big fan of the blush. I have always thought of it as cloyingly sweet, lingering on my taste buds in much the same way I recall sweet, syrupy sodas of my youth that only served to make me thirstier and my mouth feel stale. Read more