CLASSIC
2008 El Coto Rioja, Spain ($7.99) -- With just a hint of new American oak, this super value is a tremendous Rosé for the money. This Tempranillo and Grenache blend will pair up with food or drink well alone. Jaime and I concurred that we could easily drink a couple bottles of this all by itself on a patio during the summer. Enough said.

2008 Chateau du Trinquevedel, Tavel, France ($19.99) -- Predominantly Grenache with Cinsault, Clairette and just a touch of Syrah, this Rosé comes from one of the best places in the world to make pink-Tavel. Classic and driven without being a monster, this beauty starts out with Fuji or MacIntosh apple nose along with the classic strawberry fruit. Complex and herbaceous throughout, this is one amazing mouthful of wine. Phenomenal with cheese, fish, game bird-or terrific by itself, Trinquevedel is always a brilliant classic.

RICH AND BOLD
2008 Unti, Dry Creek Valley, Calif. ($17.99) -- Unti makes some really fun wines, particularly from Grenache and Mouvedre, fashioned after their southern French counterparts. With only 725 cases produced, this weighty Rosé takes French winemaking style and delivers some delicious California fruit. Floral and fruity up front, this Rosé carries some significant rich fruit and spice through to the finish. Great with food or alone, this pink is so good, even winemaker Mick Unti says, "this wine is so fashionable, we can all drink it outside the closet."

2008 Valle Reale Cerasuolo Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Italy ($12.99) -- This 10-year-old estate under the supervision of Giulio Vecchio produces some really fun wine. The Cerasuolo is a pretty bold rendition of the Montepulciano grape. Don't let the subtle nose fool you, as soon as the wine hits your mouth, you get a HUGE feel for fresh picked strawberries. Robust and hearty throughout, this bad boy is big across the mid palate, but contains bright acid to carry the weight. Super fun.

2007 Domaine Tempier, Bandol, France ($32.99) -- When most people think about when to consume Rosé, they correctly think within 12 to 18 months depending on the producer. When it comes to Domaine Tempier, all bets are off. To touch the current 2008 vintage is to dance with the devil (albeit a vicious vixen in a Pink dress). At one, even two years old, there is depth of fruit, density of character, and monstrous bold finish in this southern France phenom. Pair it with much denser proteins that you would think. I have had this with quail, duck, even Veal and it has been brilliant every time. As they don't make very much of it every year, it does garner the highest prices, up to $35 retail. Maybe not the afternoon quaffer for most of us, but totally worth it for a nice dinner.

These are just a few stand outs from the wines I tasted last week with varying flavor profiles and price ranges. Some of these wines are available at Ray's Wine & Spirits, some are available at Thief Wine. If they don't have one of these, they have plenty of other great Rosés to choose from that I didn't have the space to write about here. Or, if you are dead-set on one of the wines above and they don't carry it, they will gladly special order it for you.

This spring the Rosé crusade will finally take off, I can feel it. Let me know what great Rosés you try this spring/summer. We can compare notes and chat about food pairings.

As always, if you have any questions about Rosé or anything else wine related, drop me a note and I will be happy to get back to you. And, be sure to DRINK PINK!