Luxurious pink wines are perfect as fall arrives
September is a transitional month. Fall officially arrives, but the weather is not cozy. Football season is here, but mosquitoes still are around.
This had us thinking about wines that do not fit easily into a category. September should be a time to explore something different before the warm weather gives way to cool nights and red wine ... before we all delight in such holiday traditions as beaujolais at Thanksgiving and Champagne at New Year’s.
The wines that excite us this season are luxurious pinks.
There are plenty of affordable, perfectly drinkable pink wines popular in summer warm weather, but the ones that attract us are not “all day” rosés; they are serious wines with a deep hue that shine with food. Unlike their simpler counterparts, they also age well.
Their prices are comparable to a quality Oregon pinot noir or Sicilian frappato, and we think they are worth just as much as those red wines.
Could you bring them to the tailgate? Sure. They also can be enjoyed as a contemplative glass when sweater season arrives or paired with that challenging but delicious recipe you have been meaning to try.
Here are three deep-hued, complex rosés that shine with food and offer a nice fall drinking experience:
Domaine des Deux Cles Cles en Main rosé 2023. This wine is made from mostly carignan and syrah grapes, with small amounts of mourvèdre and cinsault. These grapes are farmed with organic and biodynamic practices deep in the south of France, just a short drive from the Mediterranean Sea. The wine offers aromas reminiscent of sweet dried herbs and ripe wild strawberries and has a subtle salinity. Also, its layers of flavor continue to evolve with age. The savory character of this darker rosé makes it a harmonious partner for lamb, particularly roasted with Mediterranean herbs.
Lamoresca rosato 2024. From one of our favorite natural winemakers in Sicily comes this blend of the local red grapes nero d’avola and frappato, with a splash of the white grape zibibbo. This magenta-hued wine is ripe with notes of black raspberry and cherry and has an intense mineral profile that lingers on the finish. We recently were invited to dinner by friends who are adventurous cooks, and their menu included spit-roasted duck, a Vietnamese-inspired cabbage salad and spicy okra over rice. We brought a bottle of this wine, which proved to be a perfect pairing.
Âmevive Graciano rosé 2024. Alice Anderson’s Âmevive is an example of how American wine is more exciting and diverse than ever. This California winery makes tiny-production wines that are thought-provoking and easy to love. We are lucky to be able to get them here in Georgia. This one is made from graciano, a dark-skinned red grape from Spain that contributes to the ruby color and imparts a pleasantly peppery layer over a juicy flavor that brings to mind salted watermelon. It’s a welcome pairing with many foods; we love it with grilled seafood or rich seafood stews.
