It’s National Rosé Day and the Belmont Stakes.  Could this day be anymore fancy if it tried???

There is no chance of a Triple Crown this year (Always Dreaming won the Kentucky Derby and Cloud Computing won the Preakness) but that does not mean we can’t toast to the winner with a little of my favorite summertime drink!

Rosé is one of my signature drinks.  It ranks up there next to a French 75 and I feel like a southern girls signature cocktail is as important as her signature monogram (it’s vine in case you were wondering).  One can’t just drink the drink… one must know a little bit about it too.

So I fell is love with rosé wine on a trip to California a few years ago.  It is light and crisp and I enjoy it both sparkling or flat.  It comes in a variety of options but I really prefer dry over sweet.  The thing I like most about rosé is that you can enjoy it on it’s own but it also pairs really well with food.  Especially BBQ.  Something about the light notes of the wine with the smokiness of the BBQ makes a heavenly combination.  It also makes a lovely companion to spicy foods.

There is a common misconception that rosé is a combinations of both white and red wines.  In fact it is type of wine where they incorporate some of the grape skins but not enough to classify it as a red wine. Rosé can actually be made from any type if grape so there are many different varieties.  Because of this you should drink it out of a glass that compliments the type of grape that was used and also the age of the wine.

The greatest thing about rosé is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money on it.  Typically I don’t spend more than $20 on a bottle except for the occasional occurrence that we splurge on Veuve Clicquot.  This is actually what is currently chilling in my fridge for this evening.

So the more you know…

There is still time to grab a bottle and get it chilled before tonight so here are a few of my favorites!

PSA…  I am no wine expert but I know what I like to drink.  These are my very basic personal opinions.

Total treat and splurge but it’s so good!  Big Daddy purchased a special bottle of Veuve Clicquot rose’ for me at Harvest Cup Polo classic last year.  I had just gotten really serious about my diet so I wasn’t drinking and I put it on the shelf for a special occasion.  Well we are opening it this weekend!  Cheers!

This is a great option if you like a little sparkle in your drink.  Bubbly and dry and I love a pinot grape so it has great flavor.

 

This is an excellent choice for a inexpensive bottle.  It was only $11.99 at Whole Foods but I have seen is less than $10 at other stores.  It has a great flavor and I love the label.  Yes, I have been known to pick a bottle based off the label…

Another very affordable option.  Great taste and not too sweet…

So grab a bottle and chill it before the race this evening.  Post time is 5:37 CST and you can watch it on NBC.

Cheers!

Tippy