What To Pair With Rosé

The wine world is suddenly catching on; there's nothing wrong with drinking rosé.

In my time, I've heard people talk down rosé more than any other style of wine. Why? Some will say it was the rise of White Zinfandel that forever left a mark on rosé. People looked at a pink, sparkling glass and thought of grandma's sweet summer wine or the cheap headache-inducing stuff they were poured at a wedding. Honestly, I don't think this is the only reason. I believe that in some regions (especially New World), rosé has been the red-headed stepchild of many winemakers. Recently, we are seeing a significant rise in quality across the board.

Whatever the reason, rosé is making a comeback in a very big way. As I delved into the world of rosé, I found rosé from some of the most respected names in the business, and in some cases, winemakers that only make rosé and are very proud of it. Funny, when I think back only a few years, the chances of someone requesting a rosé were tiny, now it happens regularly. And why not? Rosé is the perfect balance between a red and white wine. It pleases on both levels and bridges the gap for a lot of wine drinkers. It's the perfect summertime wine. What's more, due to its diversity and multitude of styles, it's excellent with a variety of cuisines from around the world.

The real challenge is that the category is huge, with rosé being made from more grape varieties than I could possibly recount. In France, rosé is often closer to the white spectrum, while Italian Rosato drinks more like a red. In Spain, they are racier and fuller, and in the States, the styles vary from producer to producer. The only way to tackle this is to jump right in. So, I started cooking and popping open bottles. What follows are the wines that I enjoyed the most and the recipes that were a perfect fit.

Click to see the perfect rosé pairings for summertime. 

— Eric Guido, Snooth