Go ahead, break the wine rules and drink this rosé any time of year | Phil Your Glass

Phil Masturzo, Akron Beacon Journal
·2 min read
90 Plus Rosé wine from the Languedoc region will make you think of springtime all year round.
90 Plus Rosé wine from the Languedoc region will make you think of springtime all year round.

Wine drinkers have too many rules. Red wine with meat. White wine with fish. And no rosé after Labor Day. WTF! (What the French!)

We've got to be more adventurous.

The biggest misnomer about rosé wine is that it is only a summer sipper. The truth couldn’t be further away. Rosé is an extremely versatile wine. It pairs wonderfully with many types of foods. It's not just a patio sipper.

This $11.99 bottle from 90 Plus Cellars is a marvelous example. The glorious strawberry, vanilla and watermelon aromatics will have you hooked with your first swirl in your glass. It’s made from mostly grenache grapes from France’s Languedoc region with a touch of cinsault.

I had a glass with Brie cheese topped with a bit of Smuckers strawberry jam. Wow! And this was only the warm-up pairing.

Of course, it was great with Krieger’s Carmona olive mix with those tiny Nicoise olives from France. I had a handful of fresh hazelnuts from Cravanzana, Italy, the hazelnut capital of Italy, along with some grilled eggplant slices. I pulled out all the stops and made a spinach salad with fresh strawberries, goat cheese and a lite raspberry vinaigrette. That pairing was definitely the crescendo — so much so that I forgot about my chicken breasts on the grill.

My basil plants are busting out of my herb garden. It’s pesto season. I wasn't surprised that the wine was great with my pesto chicken pasta. It’s a rosé.

This is a screw-top bottle. Pour yourself a glass and store the rest in the refrigerator until the next night. My money says that it won’t last that long. Keep this lovely bottle in mind to have with your Thanksgiving turkey and Easter ham.

Buy this wine at Beau’s Market in Copley, Krieger’s Market in Cuyahoga Falls, Corkscrew Johnny’s in Richfield, Gray Mart in Munroe Falls, Independence Beverage, Top Shelf of Ohio in Jackson Township, Buehler’s on River Styx, Jackson Township, and New Philadelphia.

Save the date: Meet-and-greet wine tasting with importer Mary Taylor

Join me Tuesday, Aug. 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Beau’s Veranda at the Fairlawn Hilton. I will be hosting Mary Taylor, who will be pouring six of her fabulous wines. Price per person is $39. For reservations, call 330-867-5218 or send an email to epinheiro@rdamanagement.com. Walk-ins are welcome, pending availability of space.

Reach Phil Masturzo at philyourglass@gmail.com and follow him on Instagram @pmasturzo_philyourglass

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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Rosé wine is not just a summer sipper; go ahead, break the rules