Good wine: Slip into autumn with a comfortable Rosé

Nobody is more surprised at the surge in Rosé sales than wine professionals — the folks who enjoy wine so much they actually try to make a living selling the stuff.

As a retailer years ago, I sneaked in a case of Rosé, stocking it away from the owner's glare, to recommend for dinner at nearby Middle Eastern and Asian eateries.

Now this same shopkeeper stacks Rosé high and watches it fly, still bound for international BYO's, but also porches, tailgates and early autumn brat-fests.

Sommeliers used to offer at least one Rosé, for classic pairing with elegant hors d'oeuvres and first courses. Now, Rosé is an essential by-the-glass at restaurants great and small, still for pate and smoked salmon, but also for ham on rye, fried perch and other casual fare.

Why now?

Maybe it's America's new love of red wine. Rosé is the lightest of reds, produced by adding red grape skins to clear juice for a fraction of the time needed to produce deep, red color and flavor.

Maybe it's quality. As wine sales plummet in traditional wine lands, producers turn to the U.S. for business. Americans are now treated to fine Rosés — as well as Roditis, pink “Champagne” and other simple styles — that Europeans and Mediterraneans used to drink up themselves.

Whatever the reason, premium dry Rosé (above $12) is entering its 10th straight year of double-digit growth in the U.S.

If you feel that summer's end curtails Rosé enjoyment, don't despair. Rosé segues into autumn for cocktails and to complement the widest range of dishes with palate-cleansing acidity, delicate tannin and dry but ripe berry flavors.

The operative word is “dry.” The term “White” — White Zinfandel, White Merlot … — is code for sweet. Ask your retailer to recommend a drier Rosé or look for these primary styles:

France's Rhone Valley produces bold, peppery Tavel, a worthy partner to southern France's specialties of grilled meats, veggies (including artichokes with aioli dipping sauce) and stews (including bouillabaisse.) Expect to pay $20 retail and more. While considered one of Rosé's finest examples, the wines are too powerful for this palate; I have no favorites.

France's Provence, on the other hand, offers light to medium bodied dry Rosé, with bright red fruit flavors and delicate spice. Crisp and refreshing, Provencal Rosé complements light but flavory dishes: appetizers (including regional specialties tapenade and ratatouille), salads (salade Nicoise), light pasta and pizza (la pissaladière, topped with grilled onions and Nicoise olives.) Around these parts a favorite is Mas de Gougonnier Rosé, about $17.

Spain's Rosé (labeled Rosado) is lush, dry-ish, medium-bodied and value-priced. Classic pairings include paella, tapas, grilled pork and cheeses. Rosado translates easily to cuisine of our American continent, including slow-roasted barbacoa, Ropa Viejo and Sloppy Joe's. Look for Borsao, Muga and Ochoa, each about $10.

Greece made big business from Roditis, the staple of Greek-American restaurants. But there's Rosé beyond Roditis! Kir-Yianni “Akakies” Rosé is a premium Rosé of Greece, produced from 100 percent Xinomavro grape grown on estate vineyards in Naoussa and Amyndeon. Rich, dry and vibrant, “Akakies” offers appealing flavors of cranberries, herbs and rhubarb and satisfying finish, about $15.

Both “Akakies” Rosé and “Akakies” Sparkling Rosé — a satisfying and elegant bubbly, about $20 — offer exciting pairings with Mediterranean and international dishes including smoked eel or spicy eel hand roll sushi, seared tuna steak and a range of soft, white cheeses.

Whether you call it Rosé, blush, pink, Rosado or Rosato (Italian Rosé), the U.S. has been treated to an unprecedented selection of this wine style; ask your wine retailer for his/her favorite, while supplies last.

Because not long ago, wine pros would now be drinking up — not unhappily — the last bottles of our unsold Rosé. Today, we're scouring sources for inventory to get our customers (and us) though November and one of the best wine and food pairings of all: leftover turkey sandwiches and all the trimmings with your favorite dry Rosé.

• Write to Advanced Sommelier and Certified Wine Educator Mary Ross at food@dailyherald.com.

Ross choice

Rosé

Bila Haut by M. Chapoutier

Pays d'Oc, France

2103

• Suggested retail and availability: About $14 at wine and spirit shops (distributed by Novovino, Chicago)

Don't mistake delicate color for lightness of flavor in this bright and refreshing Rosé. In the hands of wine master Michel Chapoutier a blend of Cinsault and Grenache grapes offers complexity of crushed strawberries, pear and citrus accented by direct minerality and crisp acidity. Serve slightly chilled as a satisfying cocktail and complement to flavorful appetizers and light entrees from cocktail franks to pate, escargot and boules de Picolat, the region's beef and sausage meatballs.