No way Manuel Rose(ay)
If you didn’t have enough wine yet with National Wine day or National Drink Wine Day, We get to celebrate the different colors today. It’s national rose wine day. And, what a day. How many times have you felt overwhelmed trying to make that decision: red or white? Why not go right down the middle with rose? As our Friends the Portuguese Kids say, “It is both wet and dry.” While some people are passionate about Chardonnay, Cabernet, Pinto Noir, or Viogner, We get so excited, we just need to shout: No way? Manuel Rose(ay)!
But, what is rose? I went to a restaurant where the waiter asked: Do you want red or white? Before we could answer, he interjected: “Or, I could make you some zif”. I assume this meant white zinfandel. Although his heart was in the right place, he had no concept of wine. And, that is not how you “make” a rose. Rose is actually wine made from red grapes with less time exposed to the skins than traditional reds. Usually, this exposure is 2 to 20 hours. With traditional reds, the skins are left in contact during the fermentation process. Skins produce tannin, which is desirable in reds. But, not so much in lighter wines. The result is a lighter wine with more flavor than most whites. As with other types of wine, the varieties are myriad. You can get sweet, dry, still, sparkling, or somewhere in between.
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No way Manuel Rose(ay), say it isn’t so.
Roses get a bad rap, though. Red wine drinkers will complain that you didn’t finish the wine. Why wouldn’t you extract all the flavor? Other people just think it’s a gimmick or too “girlie”. But, if you have ever done any wine pairing, you know different wines have different applications. So, before you complain that they didn’t finish the wine or it’s just a marketing ploy, think of how the wine will go in certain situations.
Red wine snobs won’t touch whites or lighter wines. They think all wine has to hit you over the head with tannins, hearty fruit, and viscosity at the perfect room temperature. But, let’s say it’s a hot summer day. You don’t want something that’s going to sit on your tongue or the back of your throat all day. And, you would like something cool and refreshing. Red wines drink the best at 62 to68 degrees. Whites and Roses, however are best lightly chilled (49 to 55). While whites tend to evoke flavors like citrus, pineapple, and pears. Roses have some of the heartier flavors associated with red wines like plum, berry, and cherries. So, you get the best of both: a smoother refreshing drink with a fruit forward flavor.
And, that’s where the pairing comes in. While white wines, generally, go best with lighter foods like fish and poultry. A rose can be a refreshing accompaniment to something like pork chops, a lighter beef preparation, or even dessert.
Keep it Pink
But, what type of rose is best? Here we enter the wild west. Just like red wines, they use different varietals. In the 1980’s, California vintners started selling a “blush” wine: White Zinfandel. It was fruity and sweet. It became the go to wine for younger or inexperienced wine drinkers because it was like drinking soda. For about a decade from the 1980’s into the 90’s, it became the number one selling varietal in the USA before Chardonnay knocked it off it’s pedestal.
The popularity and general low quality of the mass produced versions of white zinfandel turned off a lot of serious wine drinkers. And, it did a major disservice to the zinfandel variety. White zinfandel was the lowest common denominator. But, red zinfandel is a full bodied fruit forward wine that is still under-rated because of the association with white zinfandel.
White zinfandel destroyed the perception of both the zinfandel grape and the genre of rose wines. But, it wasn’t alone in the denigration of rose’s reputation. In the 1970’s brands like Mateus, Riunite, and Carlo Rossi made some cheap pink wines that were a step above ripple and back alley wino drinks. Some weren’t even called roses. They simply called them “pink”, probably in an effort to sell them to women.
Coming back
No way, Manuel Rose(ay)! It’s back? The proliferation of cheap pink wines destroyed rose for the latter half of the 20th century. But, when chardonnay knocked white zinfandel off the top of the charts heading into the 21st century, an appreciation for blush wines began to emerge as well. Over the past 5 to 10 years, there has been a renaissance in rose wines. Reputable vintners are giving the genre a new look. And, you see them in more stores again.
Which brings us back to the tricky part: choosing the right rose. This is your wine monger’s job now. Most of the more popular brands are still pretty pedestrian. So, you will need to have a conversation with the wine expert or purchaser at your local wine store. Rose isn’t a variety of wine. It is a style. Is it Pinot Noir, Cabernet, Syrah, Grenache, Tempranillo? The type of grapes used will give an idea of what to expect. Just because it’s pink doesn’t mean it’s sweet.
And, of course, there are Pink champagnes. This genre yields some great results. In fact, some pink champagnes are actually in higher demand than white. One sought after style of champagne is blancs de noire, which is white wine from black grapes. Rose champagne takes that one step further by extended the exposure to the skins for a deeper color. Veuve Cliquot is famous for their rose Champagne. So, give it a try. And, remember, there are sparklers that aren’t champagne as well. Like Pink prosecco.
A lovely Pair
As mentioned above. Rose, as all wines calls for a proper pairing. Since Rose wines tend to be lighter and sweeter than their red cousins, we recommend food that is not too heavy. Desserts are usually a good choice. But, appetizers and lighter lunches go well too. So, today we Bring you the best of both worlds for a wine that is just that. Here is a mixed berry and ricotta Flatbread pizza that could be served as a dessert, appetizer, or light meal. We glaze it with lemon syrup and top with candied lemon. The berries, citrus, and cheese are a perfect compliment to rose wines.
Salud!
Candied Lemon, Berry, and Ricotta Grilled Flatbread pizza
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Typo 00 Flour
- 2 Cups Warm Water
- 1 Tbsp Yeast
- 2 Tbsp Turbinado Sugar
- 1 tsp Kosher or sea salt
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
- For the lemon
- 2 Medium Lemons
- 2 Cups Water
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- For berries
- 2 Cups Assorted Fresh Berries (Sliced strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry, Blackberry)
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Grand Marnier
- 2 Cups Ricotta Cheese
- 2 Tbsp Chiffonade Fresh Basil Leaves
- 2 Tbsp Honey
- Large Grain Kosher or sea Salt like Malden's sea salt for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Make the pizza Dough: Mix the water, yeast, and turbinado Sugar. Let it "bloom" for about 10 minutes until it becomes frothy. Add flour, oil, and salt and mix with a dough hook until a firm dough is achieved. Oil the dough and allow to rise in a bowl. Then punch down the dough and form into 2 or 4 balls. Set aside. This can be refrigerated or frozen until needed or just keep out if using immediately.
- Use a zesting tool or peeler to make thin julienne strips of zest from the lemons. Mix the zest, the juice from the lemons, water, and sugar in a pot. Cook over medium heat until the zest is soft and the juice becomes a syrup. Allow to cool.
- Fold a little of the lemon syrup, honey, and basil into the ricotta. Taste it. Add more sweetener if you want it sweeter or less if not.
- Slice the Strawberries. Mix all the berries with sugar and grand Marnier. Let it macerate for about 10 to 30 minutes.
- Preheat a grille to high heat. Also, preheat oven to 400.
- If pizza dough was refrigerated, allow it to return to room temperature and rise slightly. Otherwise, it should be good to go. Dust with a little flour to prevent sticking. Pull the dough by hand. Shape into rounds or rectangles as you prefer.
- Place the pizza dough on the grille to give it marks. The dough will begin to bubble. Flip and mark on the second side. be careful not to burn it. Place the grilled doughs on sheet pans sprayed with pan spray.
- Brush the dough with the lemon syrup. Sprinkle the ricotta and berries around the dough evenly. Drape the lemon zest over the cheese and berries in an evenhanded manner as well. Place the pizzas in the oven and cook about 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
- Remove from the oven, cut and serve. Sprinkle with a little Large grain salt if desired. Accompany with a nice Rose wine.