LINCOLN SQUARE — Like daffodils, robins and baseball, the appearance of rosé wine is fast becoming one of the harbingers of spring.
"The first warm day" is the unofficial start of rosé season, according to Shad Martin, owner of Augusta Food & Wine, 2312 W. Leland Ave.
"I sold six or seven cases of rosé last weekend," he said.
Patty will test more rosé and then report back.
Augusta is one of dozens of businesses participating in Lincoln Square's Spring Wine Stroll on Thursday, and while the shop is featuring full-blown reds during its tasting, Martin took time out from prepping for the event to talk about rosé's recent rise from perennial punching bag to respectability.
"In France, everybody drinks rosé," but in the U.S. "people had that perception ... when they see pink, they see cheap, sweet, not good wine," he said. "We have white zinfandel to thank for that."
It took the steady championing of industry professionals "for many, many years" to change that mindset, Martin said.
"It's not like we had a secret meeting," he said. "It's hard to have universal consensus ... but it's the one category that had such a misconception."
RELATED: You Can Totally Judge a Wine By Its Label ... If You Know What to Look For
Rosé, he noted, is not some blend of red and white wines.
"A wine is red because of [grape] skin exposure," explained Martin, who purchased the former Provenance Food & Wine last September and debuted Augusta's new name and look in January.
The pink color of rosé is the result of less skin exposure, but the grapes used are typically the same as those found in reds, he said.
Martin theorized that red wine drinkers reach for lighter rosés when temperatures rise.
"They're just kind of the perfect little wine — they are extremely balanced," he said.
Pro tip on choosing a quality rose wine: look for salmon pink color. [DNAinfo/Patty Wetli]
Though wineries across the globe produce rosés, Martin's personal favorites hail from the Provence region of France.
"My perfect summer meal is a Provence rosé and a nicoise salad," he said.
Martin offered a simple rule for choosing a quality rosé: Judge the wine by its color.
"You want more salmon pink," he said.
Tickets for the Spring Wine Stroll, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday, are still available and can be purchased online. The cost is $40.
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