Wine of the Week

Spanish Dry Rosés

Texas summers are the right time for dry Rosé wines. They go perfectly with all the foods we love, from burgers and barbecue to creative salads and cold soups. The trick is finding a really good Rosé, especially in grocery stores and restaurants. Since most Americans equate pink wine with cheap, sweet wine, Rosé winemakers have been afraid to push too hard at getting their wines on shelves. Still, the more intelligent commercial wine buyers are such big lovers of a dry Rosé's blend of cool refreshment, tangy acidity, and rich flavors, that finding them on the shelves of the wine specialty stores is fairly easy.

Two of the very best come from the Rioja area of Spain, where Rosés are drunk widely with evening tapas. Cortijo III Rosé ($9) is made from Garnacha Tinta (aka Grenache). It has an almost floral aroma that follows with nice plum and pepper flavors. We tried it with a thinly sliced, cold rib-eye steak, and it was delicious. The easiest dry Spanish Rosé to find around town is also one of the best: Marqués de Cáceres Rosado ($9) is made from Tempranillo and Garnacha Tinta. It leans a bit more toward strawberry and raspberry flavors and is very nice with dinner-sized salads.

Cortijo III Rosé is available at Central Market North. Marqués de Cáceres Rosado is available at most H-E-Bs, Twin Liquors, Spec's, and many other fine wine outlets.