To keep current your license as a wine writer you are obligated to write about pink wines each June. That’s unfair to pink – also called blush – wines, rosé wines and even white wines, as in white zinfandel, white merlot and the like.
It’s unfair because pink wines aren’t just for warm weather, though that’s when they are most at home. Increasingly, pink wines are finding a place at the table year round. Evidence of that is their booming sales, up 26 percent over the past year, according to industry sources.
Granted, pink wines account for just 2 percent of the American wine market, but the recent gain is drawing attention because sales are especially strong in the $15-to-$25 niche, whereas blush wines customarily have been much cheaper.
The rising popularity of pink wine is resulting in a bunch of new players in the market. Some of them may make very fine pink wine, but recent tastings have persuaded me that if you are new to pink wine and are unsure of what to buy, start with producers who have been at it awhile. Here are a few to help get you ready for summer…