Rosé Wines

The elegance of rosé wine is found in just few alcoholic beverages. The pink shades in the color, along with the floral and fruity elements in aroma and taste, are the two main reasons for its uniqueness.

Dryopi Estate's rosé is made exclusively from Agiorgitiko. Such a fine wine can easily serve as a starter. Of similar caliber are Little Ark and Gris de Nuit of Lantides Winery and Tselepos Estate, respectively. These are excellent rosé vinifications of a variety that is normally used for white wines: Moschofilero. Finally, Avantis Estate's Amygdalies is an exquisite Syrah, capable of turning rosé wine "enemies" into lovers.

It would not be a lie to claim that rosé wines balance between red and white ones. Their fairly intense acidity and floral elements remind of the white side. Our habit of enjoying them cool, as well as the citrus notes they often feature, are also reminiscent of the white side. But flavors and aromas of strawberry, cherry and pepper, along with their noticeable tannins, reveal the red side.

We limit ourselves to just two examples: The famous rosés of Provence, Southern France, are full of apricot, strawberry, peach and melon aromas, against a background of light minerality or light oiliness. This is expected, since the main production variety is Grenache. However, if we go to Amyntaio, Northern Greece, where Xinomavro has the first word, we will discover "harder" rosés, with more noticeable tannins and elements of forest fruits. In these wines, the mineral dimension is replaced by a botanical one.

Rosé wine is considered more suitable for spring and summer situations. A picnic, a gathering of good friends on a terrace with a view, a shrimp pasta dish in a beach restaurant, an open-air cinema and many similar occasions are considered ideal for rosé wine. However, feel free to enjoy it in colder weather as well. Like all types of wine, rosé is all-season.

There are not only white sparkling wines. There are also rosés. Be sure that they will leave their mark at a party. A dinner goes well with rosé wine, whether its dishes include seafood risotto, shrimp pasta, grilled salmon or tuna salads. Feel free to bring a rosé wine if you've been invited to an evening bbq and the weather is relatively warm. Also, if the dinner hosts Indian, Chinese or Thai dishes, a rosé wine will go really well.

If you have ordered a turkey burger, you could further enjoy it with a Merlot. If your dish contains slices of cold boiled pork and Russian salad, then a bottle of Mavrodaphne will make the difference. If a proper lobster pasta dish will arrive in front of you, then the range of options is greater: Xinomavro or Grenache or Limnionas.

Like all wines, rosés hate heat and sun. Radiation-free cool places are their favorite. Of course, if the bottle is opened, then keep the rest of its content in the refrigerator, for no more than three days.

Rosé wines are similar to white wines, in terms of serving. A temperature of 12°C is probably ideal. Always use a suitable stemmed glass to highlight the wine’s great aromas.

A popular one is the Rosé Margarita, in which crushed ice, tequila, triple sec liqueur and lime juice are combined with sparkling rosé wine. Also popular is the Rosé Mimosa, in which sparkling rosé wine and orange juice are mixed with a small dose of rose liqueur. Finally, fans of dry rosé wine will love the Cooler, in which the wine is combined with vodka, sugar syrup and lemon juice, in a ratio of 3:2:2:1. For an even better result, a small amount of blackberry syrup or purée can be added.