– a short and sweet note about not-so-sweet pink delight

by Michael Parker

I lucked up and got to lock up the restaurant even earlier than anticipated. There was a semi-late wine-sippin’ sendoff for a respected local wine guy that I was anxious to attend.

As often happens in situations like this, those who do not work in restaurants get to arrive on time – even fashionably late is considerably earlier, and by the time the service industry guy gets there, they are well on their way. It is easy at this point to play a game called “Catch-Up,” and that can be a dangerous game.

It’s funny how important that first glass can seem to be when everyone seems “ahead.” You arrive and experience the adult version of that left-behind feeling, the one you got when it was recess and you had to stay behind for the longest five minutes of your life. Add five more eternal minutes to the adult version – hugs, hellos, how-are-yous. Even cheers and requests for autographs do not outweigh the importance of glass-in-hand. I have found it works to be blunt and say, “Sorry, I need to unwind. If I don’t get my glass, I’ll lose my mind.”

It isn’t about being an alcoholic, it’s about how tightly the restaurant industry regularly winds its workers. We have to chill, and pleasuring the buds is a sure thing. Please be patient.

It wasn’t a particularly warm night, and the red handed to me was rich and wonderful, but it was the wrong wine. I needed substance, but I needed my thirst quenched as well. I was craving good rosé.

Château d’Oupia, Minervois Rosé 2011 ($12) Mission accomplished. This has a pleasing, thirst-quenching level of acidity. Syrah, Grenache, and Cinsault from vines that are over 30 years old are the blend of this complex, well-structured wine. The nuance is more cranberry than strawberry, making it rather manly for a stereotypically feminine wine.

Domaine les Grands Bois, Cotes du Rhone Rosé, Les Trois Soeurs 2011 ($15) Silky on the tongue and floral in the nose, this wine is for sipping – a little goes a long way. If you break it apart, you think of raspberries, peaches, and maybe even a whiff of anise. Can a rosé be noble? Yes.

Leverano Rosato, Puglia 2011 ($10) Wine has been produced in Puglia, southern Italy, for over 4000 years. It is a region where food is more rustic, more real. Likewise, I have always been charmed by the not-exactly fine wine of this region. This pleasant pink is a blend of Malvasia Nera and Negroamaro, with an impression of sweetness. This is a good alternative, a good move-over-to pink for drinkers who always seek refuge in White Zinfandel.

Tavel – First, to say Tavel is to say rosé. It is redundant to say “Tavel rosé.” It is not the name of a winery nor is it a translation. Only pink wine may boast a label that says Tavel. In the southern Rhone is this region, where they grow Grenache and Cinsault for very dry wine. It should also be drunk fresh, meaning generally not older than two years. I always think the second year is better because there has been time for complexities to develop. Trust your local wine retailer to stock a good one for you. Then again, it is also a little redundant to say “good Tavel.”