Here, a paean to pink, for this is not only the season for dry rose but also its reason. Few wines are more versatile with food than dry pink wines, combining as they do the heft of red wine and the zest of white. A lot of what you’ve got in this dish is tomato, one of the more acidic of fruits. Strange as it may seem, foods high in acidity need countervailing acidity in their wines. For lack of acidity, a wine will fall flat when paired with the tomato. By and large, dry pinks don’t fail.
THE FOOD: Pasta with tomatoes and mint
Cook 8 ounces medium pasta shells in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 yellow onion, diced, and 1 yellow bell pepper, diced; cook until fragrant. Add 3 cloves minced garlic and 1/2 tsp. fennel seed; cook 2 minutes. Stir in 2 cans (16 ounces each) diced tomatoes, drained; 1 cup chicken broth; 1/4 cup tomato paste; 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in 12 sprigs fresh mint, coarsely chopped; simmer 2 minutes. Spoon over the pasta; top with Parmesan. Makes 4 servings.
THE WINES:
• 2013 Chateau d'Or et de Gueules Les Cimels Rose, Costieres de Nimes, France: A terrific southern French pinkie, copper-coral in hue, tasting like an unsweet watermelon agua fresca; cinsault and mourvedre grapes. $13
• 2013 Finca Museum Vinea Rosado, Cigales, Spain: This is all tempranillo, colored hot pink, and a combination of both citrus (blood orange especially) and mineral/stone tones. $18
• 2013 Tuck Beckstoffer Wines Hogwash Rose, California: Made of 100 percent grenache from cool sites in Northern California but very Provencal in style; superdry, pale copper-coral color, but big on the berry and citrus. $16
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