Every year as Thanksgiving approaches, people ask me what kind of wine they should buy to accompany the big feast.
Because there are so many flavors involved — from corn bread stuffing smothered in gravy to sweet potatoes to cranberry sauce to turkey to ham and on and on — a good default choice is always sparkling wine, which typically brings more refreshment than (competing) flavors to the table.
But over the past decade, another option has come to the forefront: rosé-style wines. More and more wineries — both domestic and international — are making dry or slightly sweet rosés out of a wide array of grape varieties.
Pretty much any red variety can be made into a rosé, and virtually all of them make great food pairing partners.
So it’s no surprise that rosé wines now have their own “day.” National Rosé Wine Day will be celebrated on June 11.
Although their marriage ultimately didn’t work out, the rosé created by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie under the Chateau Miraval label helped bring top-of-mind awareness to rosé. The attractive hues of rosés, ranging from light salmon pink to light garnet, also act like a magnet.
And when the weather warms up, nothing can beat a slightly chilled glass of rosé with a breathtaking sunset… or a feast of grilled meats… or a good novel. Talk about versatility.
I’ve already made plans for National Rosé Day. We’re going to open a couple bottles from different producers, slice a selection of cheeses and cold cuts, and propose a toast (or two… or three) to our good fortune.
And if we happen to get a gorgeous sunset as part of the deal, we’ll raise another toast to our good fortune.
