Our case for lighter wines this season continues with four unpretentious, well-crafted rosés we suggest for Shavuot.
Armonia Moscato Rosé
A rosé above the fray. Without self-consciousness or condescension, this self-contained wine in her pre-gripped bottle stands as a testament to the goodness of subtle things.
With a brush of alcohol, an elfin glass figure and a touch of fizz, Armonia’s Moscato rosé rises to the top of pink wines, while remaining an attainable indulgence for most. This carefree moscato flocks together perfectly with briny fowl, light appetizers and deeply chocolatey desserts.
Bat Shlomo Grenache Rosé
A rosé made from fully red varietals. Its producers at Bat Shlomo do so employing a delicate dance, ensuring that the very legacy on which their winery is built is honored alongside their contemporary pioneering. Such balancing is not lost on this wine. Its old-world bite and new-world finish proves this brilliance—and their craft—abundantly well.
Inheriting its deep blush from a near-Napoleonic (very little, but very great) grape, Petite Verdot, Bat Shlomo’s rosé gets its humble versatility, nevertheless, from its most famous patron, Cabernet Sauvignon, whose own modesty comes not, actually, from its own zesty parent, Cabernet Franc, also featured here. As with all propitious breeding, you will see, the product of this hybrid mixes in any crowd—meaty, veggie, cheesy; salty, sweet and umami.
Gondola Sparkling Rosé
A fresh, peachy-pink rosé from the Italian region of Veneto. It is from this region’s most popular symbol that its producer gets its name: Gondola. Where gondolas still roam the waterways, so too persist the Veneto way of winemaking. Pergola-perched vines, Italian lofts and straw mats all preserve the Gondola signature meadow-by-the-brook finish.
With notes of Italian ryegrass, freshly harvested strawberry and a zest of grapefruit, this rosé is reminiscent of a summer jaunt through northern Italy. By itself, the wine’s flavor is surprisingly striking, yet familiar; however, paired with a mild tomato-based dish or a simple serving of mozzarella, the marriage might just be unmatched.
Lueria La Fleur Rosé
A rosé by any other terroir would simply be a world apart from this full-bodied one… Like all Lueria wines, it gets its unique personality, in part, by growing up on the winery’s rare mix of soil: black basalt, red rosa and white chalk. It maintains the qualities you expect, nevertheless, by having been reared by one of the most regarded names in Israeli viticulture: Yosef and Gidi Sayada.
If you select this rosé for your seuda, pick up a beefy petite tender to go with it—it’s the perfect complement.
As you find your place around a table or barbecue pit this Shavuot, sample broadly beyond the reds of yore … or the rare trend of this season’s whites. Whether it be that taciturn near-brut sparkler or a coy chardonnay blend, you might just find a rosé the toast of this season … and beyond. Good Yom Tov, good sampling and good sharing!
E.Y. De Souza is a writer of all things liquid and solidly Jewish, earning wine cred strolling through Red Garden’s portfolio.
