Rosé Wines

By: Connor Brown

When Rosé is mentioned in wine conversations, many of us think of our grandmothers and the sweet pink wine that we've all snuck tastes of. However, not all Rosé wine is sweet, and the process of making a rosé wine is one of the oldest around. It offers a wide range of flavors to appease even the most picky wine drinkers. While there are many ways to achieve a rosé, one of the most common methods is called skin contact. This method basically allows red wine grapes to ferment with the skins for a limited time before the juice is drained and separated, leaving a wonderful pink juice to continue to mature into a delectable rosé wine. And though rosés have been produced for centuries, many US wine regions and other world regions have just started to experiment with producing dry rosé. Texas, however, has been on the train for quite some time, and The Grapevine offers a nice selection of them from some of Texas' most beloved wineries.

On the menu is Fall Creek Creekside Rosé, a luscious deep pink, off-dry wine made just down the road in Driftwood. The Creekside Rosé is a well-balanced and full-bodied blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, and Syrah that boasts big fruit flavors of strawberries and watermelon with a zesty crisp acidic finish. This wine falls right in the middle of dry and sweet, and should be served chilled to allow maximum relaxation in the Texas heat.

Another favorite is the Kiepersol Rosé of Malbec from Tyler, Texas. This beautiful pale pink wine is light-bodied and mostly dry with wonderful melon and berry notes, followed by a crisp, smooth, semi-earthy finish. If you enjoy a Malbec for its soft smooth tannins, and round flavor profile, the Keipersol Rose of Malbec can easily be your new springtime favorite offering similar flavors with a lighter and more refreshing taste.

And for those who prefer something on the sweeter side, our neighbors at Dry Comal Creek here in New Braunfels have been perfecting the blush for years with their White Black Spanish. This wine has deep Texas roots with the Lenoir, or Black Spanish, grape that has been imbedded in American wine growing culture since the 19th century and is now grown vastly in the Lone Star State. (We even have some growing on the porch at The Grapevine!) This lovely blend of Black Spanish and French Columbard has a deep garnet color and tastes of ripe berry and cherry with a soft semi-sweet and jammy finish. However this wine isn't near too sweet with well-balanced cinnamon and citrus flavors to keep the sweetness from overpowering the delicate fruit notes that pull it together.

As someone who almost exclusively drinks Rosé, it's great to see such prestigious Texas wineries find their viticultural roots in producing this timeless wine style. It also grants many more options for those red and white wine drinkers to meet in the middle. In Gruene, we're all about good times, rich history and fine wine, so let’s all spend less time arguing reds versus whites and more time enjoying!