Louis Picamelot Crémant de Bourgogne Review Date - 7/1/2008 Score - 90 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied off-dry sparkling rosé; very pretty medium salmon pink. Slight candied apple aroma, with hints of citrus zest; on the palate a sweet red fruit character--red cherry, strawberry-- with good acidity balancing the sweetness. Finish is long, clean and crisp, with fruit and acidity marching in lockstep to the close. Small, persistent bubbles. Winery is located in Rully, in France's Burgundy region, but owns only a single hectare of vines. Grapes: Pinot Noir and Gamay noir à jus blanc. Suggested Food Pairings: Perfect for slightly spicy fare: spicy shrimp dip; crab and red pepper spread; grilled pancetta- or prosciutto-wrapped scallops or shrimp with spicy rémoulade sauce; dim sum; teriyaki skewers; smoked or cured salmon; chicken and mango salad; ham croquetas; taquitos; mild jerked chicken; blackened dishes. No caviar with this one, please. Georgia Distributor: Gusto Brands $28.00 Laetitia Brut Rose Arroyo Grande Valley Review Date - 7/1/2008 Score - 90 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied dry rosé wine; lovely, bright salmon pink. Aromas of fresh delicate flowers and red . fruits--strawberry especially. On the palate, fresh, lively red berry flavors are delicate and nuanced. Good acidity, a persistent small bead, and moderate alcohol. Grape: Pinot Noir. Good value in the genre. Suggested Food Pairings: Very useful for a wide variety of foods. Smoked salmon mousse; crab-and-red pepper dip; slightly spicy shrimp dip; soft-shell crabs coated in curry-accented flour and sautéed; Asian-inspired (but not too spicy) dim sum; sautéed crab cakes, grilled shrimp or scallops with spicy rémoulade. Georgia Distributor: Empire Distributing $25.00 2006 Maryhill Winery Rose of Sangiovese Columbia Valley Review Date - 7/1/2008 Score - 96 Tasting Note: Full-bodied very slightly off dry (1.1 RS) rosé; lovely raspberry pink color. Intense aromas of spice and ripe, red fruits, especially strawberry and raspberry. On the palate, a fleshy texture backs up rich, sweet red fruits and propels the wine to a long, fine, fruit-filled finish with a light citrus note in the close. This is awesome work. These grapes were selected specifically to make rosé, macerated briefly, then pressed and cold fermented. Grape: Sangiovese. Heavy-duty award winner, and no wonder. Great value. Suggested Food Pairings: Sooo many foods: farro (a grain) salad with grape tomatoes, feta cheese and olive oil (DeKalb Farmers Market); slightly spice cured Spanish-style chorizo; spicy shrimp dip; crab-and-red pepper spread; pimento cheese; grilled ham steak; vegetable-stuffed stromboli or calzone; red snapper baked in spicy tomato or vegetable juice with sautéed bell peppers; rotisserie or fried chicken; eggplant casseroles; grilled sausage with sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese; roast pork loin with sweet chipotle pepper sauce, barbecued ribs with light tomato-based sauce. Georgia Distributor: Metro Premium Wines $12.00 2007 Angove's Rosé Nine Vines South Australia Review Date - 7/1/2008 Score - 86 Tasting Note: Medium- full-bodied dry rosé wine; very pretty medium-deep reddish pink Rich with red fruit aromas, a touch of candied apple; clean, sweet red fruits frame the fairly simple palate. Good acidity but the burst of acid at the end suggests post-fermentation acid adjustment. (When acid's adjusted pre-fermentation, it's better integrated.) Grape: Grenache (70%;) Syrah (30%). Moderate alcohol: 12.5%. Angove's was established in Adelaide in 1886. Suggested Food Pairings: Particularly good with Asian food, Chinese dishes (salt-and-pepper shrimp or squid; sesame chicken; chicken balls; barbecued pork buns; dim sum); smoked salmon mousse with dill; Carolina-style barbecue (pulled pork with vinegar-based sauce); farro (a grain) with grape tomatoes, feta cheese, Niçoise olives and olive oil (DeKalb Farmers Market); tomatoes stuffed with shrimp salad; fried chicken. Georgia Distributor: United Distributors $12.00 2006 Ramón Ramos Monte Toro Rosado Review Date - 7/1/2008 Score - 89 Tasting Note: Full-bodied dry rosé wine with a bright, pink-edged light red color. A rather shy but clean aroma suggests spicy candled apple with a touch of cinnamon; sweet red fruits fill out the palate, which culminates in a long, clean dry but fruit-driven finish. Very satisfying from start to end. Grape type: 100% Garnacha. In 1994 when I first visited Toro, nobody wanted to talk about or show their rosados, even though they had them. Today, it's another story. Moderate alcohol: 12.5%. Nice value. Suggested Food Pairings: Spicy fare: Spanish serrano ham; pepper-crusted salamis and other cured meats; cured salmon or lox; grilled ham and cheese sandwiches with mustard; vegetable-stuffed stromboli or double-crust pizza; grilled spicy sausages (such as linguiça); chicken salad with mango and red pepper, blackened anything (salmon's nice); muffaletta; chicken baked in tomato sauce. Georgia Distributor: LaFayette Selections $12.00 2006 Casita Mami Rosado Navarra Review Date - 7/1/2008 Score - 87 Tasting Note: Full-bodied very slightly off-dry rosé wine; deep reddish pink. Rather shy aromas suggest red fruits, but a more robust palate bring fleshy raspberry and strawberry characters into focus with some spice. With some time in the glass, the wine evolves a fine, complex character. The importer, Grape type: Garnacha. Navarra is part of the Basque country in north central Spain.The imorter, Romery & Miller, has created this brand, Casita Mami, for use in the U.S. Suggested Food Pairings: Likes spice: Slightly spicy chicken wings; barbecue (ribs); smoked meats; Serrano ham; grilled ham steak; spicy grilled sausages (linguiça or andouille); pasta salads with creamy garlicky dressing (Whole Foods); fried or roast chicken; chicken baked in tomato sauce; teriyaki. Probably also good with paella. Georgia Distributor: LaFayette Selections $13.00 2005 Sawyer Cellars Rose of Merlot Rutherford Review Date - 7/1/2008 Score - 88 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied slightly off-dry rosé wine; medium reddish pink. Aromas of fresh red fruits, especially strawberries and raspberries, with plenty of acidity. Despite its distance from harvest, it retains good fruit character, and lasts nicely when open over the course of a couple of days if kept chilled.. Luscious, silky texture, with an appealing mouth-watering finish. Suggested Food Pairings: Classic Mexican dishes with mild tomato-based salsas; roast pork tenderloin with chipotle/honey glaze; grilled mildly spicy sausages; barbecued chicken; barbecued shrimp, baby back ribs with mild tomato-based sauce (Fox Bros); grilled ham steak; eggplant with pine nuts and a bread-crumb crust; teriyaki; fried chicken with a little curry powder in the flour, chicken Biryani or similar mildly seasoned Indian chicken dishes, grilled or roasted vegetables. Georgia Distributor: Peach State Wine & Spirits $20.00 2007 Chateau Mourgues du Gres Costieres de Nimes Les Galets Roses Review Date - 7/1/2008 Score - 94 Tasting Note: Full-bodied dry rosé wine; lively lovely medium reddish pink. Intense aromas of red fruits and fresh apricots, while on the palate, red fruits and spice meld and acquire a touch of candied apple in the finish. Simply, one of the most delicious rosés anywhere, and a longtime personal favorite. Intense. Hard to find a rosé more complex, more delicious or more compelling. Good acidity, balance and length. Grapes: Basically Syrah, with some Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre. Costières de Nîmes was formerly part of Languedoc-Roussillon declared A.O.C. in 1986 and changed name in 1989. Attached to the Rhône by growers' petition (1998) in 2004. Suggested Food Pairings: Spicy shrimp dip; lox or other cured salmon, chicken wings; Country Captain; chicken baked in tomato sauce; grilled spicy sausages (linguia); red beans and rice with andouille; crawfish salad or étouffé (not too hot spicy); paella; grilled, rotisserie or fried chicken; shrimp-stuffed tomatoes. Georgia Distributor: Unique World Wines $17.00 2006 Colonial Estate Barossa Valley Grenache Rosé Enchanteur Review Date - 7/1/2008 Score - 92 Tasting Note: A medium-bodied dry ros/; medium, translucent reddish pink. Lovely aromas of red fruits with a a hint of lead pencil. On the palate, fresh red fruit flavors lead with a silky texture, a suggestion of tannin and a long finish. High alcohol (14%) shows just a notch. Wine opens nicely in about a half hour, rapidly gaining depth and complexity. .Grape: 100% Grenache. Saignée made during the initial maceration prior to fermentation to concentrate a red wine (Emigré) the winery produces...Grapes are handpicked, and the juice is fermented with a Beaujolais yeast. Suggested Food Pairings: Delicately seasoned foods (skip the spice); Smoked salmon terrine; lox or other cured salmon; salad of farro (a grain), feta cheese; grape tomatoes, Niçoise olives; chicken and mango salad; vegetable-filled stromboli (singularly good); roast or rotisserie chicken; seafood dishes, such as ;crawfish cakes; pancetta-wrapped grilled shrimp or scallops. Georgia Distibutor: Northeast Wholesale $20.00 2007 Weingut Tegernseerhof Tegernseerhof Rose Zweigelt Review Date - 7/1/2008 Score - 93 Tasting Note: Medium-bodied dry rosé wine; lovely red salmon color. Delicate aromas of red fruits with a slightly earthy/smoky note. More intense red fruit flavors, with good acidity, slight rhubarb note, leading to a dry, persistent finish. Rich, complex mid-palate. Opens beautifully in the glass. Mouthwatering. Just 12% alc. Grape: Zwigelt, a crossing of Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent. Done as a saignée. Winery is historic property with a long, family-connected history. Suggested Food Pairings: For food pairing, treat like a white wine, and serve with delicate fare (avoid the spice): crab-red pepper spread; rotisserie-cooked or roast chicken; grilled fish; roast pork tenderloin; shrimp-stuffed tomatoes; light hors d'oeuvres such as chicken or ham croquetas; taquitos; mildly seasoned Asian fare (teriyaki skewers; dim sum). Georgia Distributor: Hemispheres $15.00 Montelvini Monvin Regandino Review Date - 7/1/2008 Score - 90 Tasting Note: Light-bodied dry rosé wine (just .1 RS), with a lovely deep rose color. Aromas go to the red fruits--strawberry, red raspberry and watermelon--with similar flavors on the palate. Decent acidity (5.3) and moderate alcohol (11.5%), making it ideal for summer's heat. Surprising complexity, with the tiniest hint of candied apple, a long finish, lovely fruit. Slight pétillance. Grape types: Merlot (30%) and Prosecco (70%). Armando Serena established the winery in 1969. 30 ha (about (about 74 acres) are organically farmed and so certified. Seems to open in the glass as the wine warms just a bit, developing a lovely roundness. Suggested Food Pairings: An ideal appetizer wine: smoked salmon terrine; seafood fritters or croquets; pimento cheese; grilled mildly spicy sausages (linguiça, for instance); salami and deli meats; grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches, wraps, red beans and rice with andouille, Carolina perloo with sausage; muffaletta, panini. Georgia Distributor: Peach State Wine & Spirits $17.00 2005 McClean Vineyards Rosé of Syrah Paso Robles Review Date - 7/1/2008 Score - 88 Tasting Note: Full-bodied dry rosé; medium deep translucent red. Aromas of fresh crushed berrie6 and red cherries; on the palate, red and black currants, some spice, and a long fruit-filled finish. Delicious, fruit-filled mid palate. Intense, although somewhat monochromatic. Silky, sensuous texture. Still lively despite being three years out of vintage. Fairly full-bodied, rich foods. Smoked liverwurst and other smoked meats; spicy shrimp dip; grilled ham steak; roast or grilled duck; lamb chop lollipops; composed meat salads; beef or pork kabobs; barbecued pork ribs with mild, medium-bodied tomato-based sauce; pulled pork barbecue. Gusto Brands $20.00