Over the past couple of years, the sale of rose wines has outpaced reds on many retail shelves. While some trends come and go, this one remains strong and perhaps will grow stronger yet into the future.

The reasons are several as the styles of roses are as diverse as the “typical” wine lovers’ palates. These lovely wines can be a quite sweet, off-dry or even very crisp and totally dry. Some are “still” table wines; others are sparklers. They can be made from red grapes, but pressed and handled in the cellar as though the fruit was white. They can be blended from a combination of reds and whites. Others are made from fresh fruits, some from concentrates imported from wine regions near and far. Some are elegant; many are just fun to enjoy while watching the sunset from the deck or poolside.

Roses are especially appealing to growers like ours who live in a cool climate region. When we have a shorter than normal growing season, some of our reds, which might not reach full maturity, can produce some very pleasant, award-winning wines with pink hues.

Or when a winemaker wants to broaden his offerings, he can pick some of his reds a little earlier than those he intends for his complex and hearty reds. Those harvested early have acids that are somewhat higher and the sugar levels a little lower, giving the finished wine a crisp and refreshing finish.

One reason some of our regional Cabernet Francs are made into a rose style is because, when Mother Nature offers a cool, shorter than normal growing season, the fruit may not mature to yield a full bodied red, but will produce an exceptional Cabernet Rose. Ditto for those Cabs picked intentionally early.

Some grapes, like our traditional Catawbas, will yield a naturally sweet, pale pink finished wine. These labrusca or native family grapes offer intense flavors and popular fruity-grapy aromas, distinct from the nose of a Cabernet, French-American hybrid blend or the dry finish of a vinifera red.

Strawberries, cranberries, raspberries, cherries and even rhubarb fruits are made into pink wines by many state vintners. Fruit wines, though not yet of the “stature” in the mind of some “sophisticates,” are one of the fastest-growing categories according to Nielsen, the national research firm. Consumers, who vote with their palates and most importantly with their wallets, are helping to strengthen the sale of these very lovely wines. Fresh fruit wines are designed to be consumed young, usually within several months of their release. They offer attractive coloration in a wineglass, for sure, but also the aromas of their native fruits are great with light warm-weather meals or alone, later in the season, as an early evening accompaniment to a fall hike in crunchy leaves or a football tailgate party.

When our winemakers intend to make a blush by blending reds and whites, many use Vidal Blanc, with its aromatic nose and slightly sweet finish as the base wine. Chambourcin, Chancellor, or even an inky black juice from a variety called Colobel may be added to develop the color the cellarmaster is looking to achieve.

We now have several Ohio vintners producing a sparkling pink. Since they are primarily distributed locally, they may not ever be a challenge to Arizona’s ubiquitous Guret in the national market, but they are OURS and they are wonderful…..and worthy of your attention.

To discuss all things wine, email Donniella at dwinchell@ohiowines.org.