First off what exactly is pink wine? It’s not quite white wine, neither is it red, but we do know that it is delicious; whether it is enjoyed over turkey dinner, a hot summer day, or after a long week of exams it will always lighten your mood. Well there are actually a few different ways pink wine is made. The pink color comes from red grapes originally. The red grapes are picked, and made in the similar style white wine is. The skins are removed from the grapes which is the source for pigment that gives that deep purple color. Also, tannins that are embedded in the skins are also removed. Tannins are mostly noted as the dryness in red wine but also give a health benefit to the wine. From here, it is either left as is which will become rosé wine, or it can be mixed with white to become white zinfandel or pink moscato.
So what’s right for you?
Everyone comes from different backgrounds, experiencing different flavors and smells which affect our taste buds and determine what we love to drink and eat. At the very least, you should be willing to try new things because at worst, you will know what you do not like.
If you enjoy sweet,
pink moscato is the way to go. Moscato alone is a sweet dessert wine exploding with peach and apricot aromas, but will feel very astringent in your mouth after a few sips. Adding in some red wine to the mix, can add complexity and give it a fuller feel in your mouth, also known as the body of the wine. Great for fruit desserts, but make sure that the dessert is sweeter than the wine you are drinking. We recommend: Pink moscato by Pink Zebra from California, on sale for $7.99 at Fred Meyers.
If you enjoy refinement,
then rosé will become your best friend. Truly excellent rosé wines can still be inexpensive. Provence, France has some of the most mouthwatering refined rosés in the world, lots of them you can easily snatch for under $20 a bottle. If you’re a red-lover, but feel the need to drink something lighter, rosé will show you the way. They tend to be drier than a white, but will still have a lightness of a white. However, fresh fruit will not be absent. Classic rosé tastes are light strawberry, rose petals, and other lightly red fruits. Eastern Washington has great rosés also, which can be much cheaper than imported, yet still very good. These are great with light red sauces, seafood, and pizza. We recommend: Dry Rosé by Marqués de Cáceres from Rioja, Spain sold by Vinostrology at $7.99.
If you enjoy light and refreshing,
then welcome to white zinfandel. Light and refreshing, white zinfandel will be thinner in the mouth than pink moscato making it very easy to sip. Showing fruits like raspberry and strawberry, these can by absolutely scrumptious. White zinfandel can be enjoyed by almost anyone, the lightness of the wine has made it an extremely popular style of wine. These wines are excellent for any spicy food as the sweetness will balance out the heat. We recommend: White Zinfandel by Beringer from California, on sale at Rite-aid at $5.99.
Wine is not a drink, it’s an experience-meant to be shared with others.