This popular crash course was an epilogue to the session of the same name at Wine Riot! back in April. Now that we’re in the full swing of rosé season, we felt it appropriate to return to the pink stuff that’s perfect for porch sipping.

A favorite of wine enthusiasts around the globe, rosé is light, crisp, and pink! Ranging in hue from light pink to deep red, this is one of the world’s most misunderstood wines. To begin with, rosé is NOT the sticky, sweet white zinfandel you see in a box, nor the blush wine you see in a jug. A lot of people are hesitant to even approach rosé, thinking it’s going to be like it’s pink counterparts.

While some rosés do have incredibly bright fruit flavors of raspberry and strawberries, others are deep in color and drink more like a red wine. Soaking grape skins in the juice during the fermentation process is what gives red wine its color and tannin. Rosés are made the same way, but only instead of soaking the skins for months, they are only in contact with the juice for hours, giving the wine a bit more body and structure than a white. While the process was made most famous in the south of France, rosé wines are made in every major wine region in the world.

We tasted an array of the stuff, starting with lighter summer sippers, leading up to more robust and darker colored wines. Rosés are perfect for solo sipping, or to pair with lighter options like goat cheese, salad, or grilled chicken.

	2008 Triennes Rosé Provence, France – $13.99
	A light colored, crisp rosé, this wine was a favorite of the crowd. “Real men can and WILL drink pink!” was the reverberating phrase throughout the night, not only from Jeff but Tyler as well. Both are resident rosé fans, and can agree that this wine is perfect for porch/roofdeck/stoop sipping. Just get outside and drink it!
	2007 Domaine de Fontsaine Gris de Gris Corbières, France - $15.99
	Downtown’s Wine of the Week! From the Loire Valley, this rosé is quite unique. It’s made from pinot gris– a white grape! Smooth and light with a taste of berries on the finish, this is a wine to have glass after glass of.
	2008 JM Raffault Rosé Chinon, France – $15.99
	Also from the Loire, this wine was more robust than the previous rosés. With a vegetal and minerality to it, it’s a crisp alternative to a New Zealand sauvignon blanc. Drink with seafood!
	2008 Vitiano Rosato Umbria, Italy
	This wine is noticeably darker than the previous rosés. Stepping up to the plate and starting to play rosé hardball, this wine is easy to drink and has notes of dark cherry and vanilla for a smooth and pleasant finish.
	2008 Castello di Ama Rosato Gaiole, Italy – $15.99
	This wine was also a hit with the crowd. Reviewed in Wine Spectator recently, there’s been a surge of interest in this particular rosé. However, it sold out from suppliers in February! Too bad for the late comers, great news for all the locals! Downtown’s got some stock left and stands behind it being a killer rosé.
	2007 Yorkville Cellars Rosé de Franc Mendocino County, California – $14.99
	The last rosé of the night, this wine was the overall favorite of the crowd. Dark, robust and packed with stone fruit flavors, Jeff refers to it as a “juicebox” wine. Clearly, it’s ideal for sipping on all night (or summer) long, and is organically produced. What’s not to love?

All wines are available at Downtown Wine & Spirits in Davis Square.