3 roses to transition to spring

Gorgeous weather, the return of baseball and the annual transition from heavy winter reds to light, bright roses are all signs of spring in St. Louis. Here’s why you should think – and drink – pink this spring and summer.

Simply put, rose wines incorporate some of the color from the grape skins, but not enough to qualify as red wine. These wines are made three different ways. Some are made like red wine, where the juice remains in contact with the skins to extract some color and flavor. Others are made using the saignée, or bleeding, method requires syphoning off juice intended for red wine before it extracts too much color and fermenting it. Finally, winemakers can simply blend red and white wines to produce the desired color and taste.

Roses color and flavor vary greatly is fun realm of wine to explore. Most roses are dry, but they show bright fruit flavor, and the best have an intensity and balanced acidity as well. Look for bottles from Cotes De Provence, Corsica, Tuscany, Spain and of course, California and Oregon. Here, my top three rose picks for this weekend:

1. 2015 Chateau Thivin Beaujolais Villages rose is a great bottle made from Gamay grapes that produce bright, crisp wine with flavors of strawberry, flowers and minerals. This is a very pretty, enjoyable wine perfect for an afternoon of outdoor events.
$20. Available at Cork & Rind

2. Biodynamically farmed grapes with very little skin contact give Red Car Rose of Pinot Noir a light shade of pink. This is wine with finesse, featuring pink grapefruit and cherry notes and bright acidity. Fish dishes are perfect for this delicate sipper.
$19. Available at The Wine and Cheese Place in Clayton

3. There are “unicorns” in the wine world. The wines by Frank Cornelissen are such rare beauties – difficult to find, yet well worth the quest. Naturally made in Sicily on the slopes of Mount Etna, this intense wine exhibits a distinct sense of place. It is best served decanted, as it is truly unfiltered. The newest vintage will be released mid-summer; keep an eye out for one of the most interesting roses available.

Ben Wood has more than 10 years experience in the wine industry. He currently works as shop manager of Cork & Rind.