Stop it, You’re Making Me Blush!

My love of wine began like most people’s; with exposure to a sweeter wine. It was a sweet wine that was pure “juice.” For some of us that is where our tastes landed and still reside. I am not judging anyone who drinks what they like, I in fact promote that idea. I, however, cannot say the same for much of the wine drinking world.

If you ever wondered what is the most popular wine by sales volume, that answer is White Zinfandel. It is a wine that owes its existence to an error by an inexperienced wine maker. In an attempt to help balance tannins in a traditional Zinfandel wine, some extra sugars were added and skins removed. The product was as far from traditional Zinfandel as you can imagine. It was in an effort to “get rid” of the wine that it was served in the tasting room.

After quickly selling all of the “mistake” wine, the wine selling world started to embrace white Zinfandel. I was once at a wine event where the head winemaker from Berringer was a featured guest. One of people in attendance asked the winemaker how they could create such top notch Cabarnet and make white Zinfandel in the same winery. He said in a very calm voice that everything they want to do with high quality wines is funded by the profits they make from white Zinfandel.

If you think about the “starter” wine you drank as an introduction to the world of wine, I would guess that 90+% of you haven’t had a glass of that starter wine in years. One of the beliefs I hold is that the more new wines you try the more varietals will make your drinking rotation. It is good to keep it fresh!

So where does this lead us you may be asking? It leads to spring, warmer weather and my personal infatuation with rosé wines. The category of blush wines includes some amazing options of wines made from an almost limitless number of grape varietals. My personal favorites are wines from Provence. These wines have a balance of structure and flavor like a red wine, but are refreshing and acidic like a white wine.

Standing on the doorstep of spring and al fresco dining, nothing goes better with a sunny afternoon than a rosé. So what is the connection with rosé and white Zinfandel? They are connected in two very good ways from my perspective.

First, because of the stigma associated with white Zinfandel, all of the blush wines tend to have very favorable price points. Many top restaurants do not sell rosé wine by the glass for the fear that patrons might think they are selling white Zinfandel.

Second connection is that the blush wine category has become much bigger because of the financial success associated with white Zinfandel. Rosé refers to a color not a varietal. So when you see a rosé of Pinot noir or Malbec, that is a wine maker looking to expand the blush category of wines. I am always looking for something new and unique and thinking of pairings. Rosé in general is like a blank canvas. If you are looking for pairing with rosé you should think about the varietal that is the dominant grape.

If the affordability and experimentation of rosé is a biproduct of the proliferation of white Zinfandel, then I say “cheers” to that. So let’s raise a glass to drinking what you like, especially if it’s a blush wine on a sunny afternoon!