Elk Cove 2006 Pinot Noir Rosé

The Winery: Elk Cove Vineyards
The Wine: 2006 Pinot Noir Rosé
The Price: $14.99

I know what you're thinking. "Rosé? Seriously?" My first and, until recently, only exposure to Rosé is likely what many people experience. The stuff my mom used to buy by the box. If that's your only exposure to Rosé, then you probably view them in the same light that I used to. As a Sokol Blosser Cellar Club member, I got a bottle of their Rosé of Pinot Noir earlier this year. It was surprisingly good (if I ever get my hands on another bottle, I'll give it a proper review).

First, a bit on Rosé. There are two ways to make a Rosé. The first is to blend finished red wine with finished white wine, which usually results in a poor quality Rosé (remember the stuff my mom bought by the box?). This is how the massed produced Rosés are often made. The other method is to use red wine grapes and follow the process for white wine making (there is more too it than that, but for the sake of simplicity, this is really what you need to know).

This wine is a crisp, dry wine. The color is slightly more towards the red end of the spectrum than I have observed with other Rosés. The wine has a fruity, berry flavor. It is very drinkable, and would go well with just about any meal. It's flavor is not so overwhelming as to drown out a light fish meal, but it has enough character to be able to stand up against a steak dinner. I think it would be particularly nice on a hot summer evening.