Whether it's rosé, rosado (Spain), rosato (Italy) or "blush" - these terms all refer to pink wine. This pink shade can range from a soft, subtle hue to a vibrant, hot pink, depending on the grape used and how long the grape skins were in contact with the juice. Rosés can be made in a sweet, off-dry or bone dry style, with most European rosés being decidedly dry.The majority of rosé wines are made from a red grape varietal. The varietals most often used in making a rosé wine include Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Zinfandel. These varietals may be either used solo or in a blend. Rosé varietals are often country dependent, so a rosado from Spain will often be largely derived from the Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes, while Italy may utilize more Sangiovese for their rosatos and the U.S. would tend to lean towards Cab, Merlot, and Zinfandel. Traditionally, the skins of a red grape are allowed to have brief contact with the grape juice.

The shorter the contact time with the skins, the lighter the wine's color will be. Extended time with juice and skins yields some amazing, eye-catching color variations from vibrant orangey-pink to nothing less than a vivid hot pink. the best wine with seafoodSparkling rosés are traditionally made with a blend of red and white grapes, while this practice is usually limited to the sparkling category, it has popped up in production practices for some still rosé wines.glass of wine background The flavors of rosé wines tends to be more subtle versions of their red wine varietal counterparts. wine for 60 guestsThe fruit expectations lean towards strawberry, cherry, and raspberry with some citrus and watermelon presenting on a regular basis. best wines with taste

Rose wine can run the gamut from ultra dry to fairly fruity depending on the region and producer. Prefer dry and food-friendly? Then scout for roses from southern France, Spain or Italy.Rosés are perfect for spring and summer, as they are served chilled and can be a refreshing accompaniment to a variety of warm weather fare. buy a wine estateRosé wines also top the charts for food-friendly versatility. best place for wine chicagoSo, if you are opting for "surf 'n turf" rest assured that a rosé can handle both the seafood and the steak in one fell sip. It's also a great picnic wine, as it tends to have both a lighter body and more delicate flavors on the palate, presenting a great wine partner for a ham, chicken or roast beef sandwich, along with a fruit, potato or egg salad and can even handle a variety of chips and dips. Rosés are also the perfect guest for a backyard barbecue, tackling hamburgers, hot dogs and even French fries and ketchup with ease.

While rosé wines may have experienced the shaft for a decade or so when the wine market was flooded with "White Zin" look-alikes, many consumers are helping to break rosés out of the sweet, "wine cooler" mold and are embracing the broad stylistic offerings that are on the rosé market from all over the world. Wine lovers and wine makers are both the better for it! Rose wine sales are on the rise as savvy wine lovers have discovered that many of these pink wines are not the sugary sweet wines of old, but rather sophisticated summer sisters of many red wine varietals. To offer even more incentive to "drink pink" the vast majority of rosé wines offer good value for the money. Check out the latest vintage reviews for some tip top rose wines. For a beautiful pink color and lively sparkling taste, try Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace Brut Rose. Made of 100 percent pinot noir using the Champagne method, the sparkling wine is one of Martha's favorites; and at about $20 per bottle, it offers a great value for its quality.

She keeps a stock in her cellar for celebrations. Best Value for a Rose While rose wines are usually looked upon as mostly simple wines, Joseph Bastianich's Rosato, made from the refosco grape of northern Italy, has a complexity that belies its under-$15 price tag. It's also a terrific food-pairing rose, with great acidity, interesting herbal notes, and gorgeous aromas of plums and strawberries. Made from 100 percent pinot noir, that most food-friendly of red grapes, Adelsheim's 2008 rose ($19) can easily take you from savory first-course bites, with its undertones of thyme and earth, to main-course fare like fish, grilled fowl, and even roasted pork or herb-tossed pasta. Best Rose for Spice If you've got spicy foods on your menu, an off-dry, gentle sparkler like Alain Rendardet's Bugey-Cerdon tames the heat of chiles but also stands up to richness and oil with its great acidity, letting the flavors in your food really sing. Best Splurge for a Rose You might want to save this for toasting between you and your honey, but once you get a whiff of Pommery's Springtime Champagne Brut Rose ($50), your sense memory will be forever imprinted with its heady notes of raspberries and vanilla, and will feel the tingly tickle of its gorgeous mousse and creamy texture.

Best Rose for Meat Dishes like roast pork, with its juicy, slightly salty nature, are beautiful with an herby, cherry-accented rose sparkler such as Argyle's 2007 Dundee Hills Brut Rose ($45). Best Friend of Fowl What is it about poultry that is so lovely with fruits? Whether it's a squeeze of a fresh orange on chicken or a roasted duck breast draped in rich raspberry sauce, you can't go wrong with a vivid rose sparkler like Domaine Carneros Cuvee de la Pompadour, with its notes of pink grapefruits, strawberries, and melons. It's a great pleasure to raise a glass of Sparkling Pointe's Topaz Imperial sparkler ($33). Dry and refreshing, with a lovely pale-pink hue, this wine has delicate berry notes and a lovely, biscuity nose that are certainly worth a "Cheers!" or two. Best Sparkling Rose for Toasting When you're pouring for a crowd, you're looking for quality in the glass that won't burn a hole in your wallet. Go for Gloria Ferrer's creamy, palest-pink Blanc de Noirs ($18), with its crisp, dry nature and pretty cherry and raspberry notes.