Rosé with Pizza?
by Kermit Lynch
© Mikey Bargo
© Jane Augustine
© Tom Wolf
© Gail Skoff
Gaël Petit tastes his Tavel
© Joanie Bonfiglio
Rosé aging in concrete egg at Domaine Hauvette
© Joanie Bonfiglio
While almost no one was looking, there was a teensy swell of revolution in a few French wine cellars, an experiment to try to recreate what rosé used to be before the wine scientists fangled up the rosé winemaking recipe.
© Mikey Bargo
© Jane Augustine
© Tom Wolf
© Gail Skoff
Gaël Petit tastes his Tavel
© Joanie Bonfiglio
Rosé aging in concrete egg at Domaine Hauvette
© Joanie Bonfiglio
While almost no one was looking, there was a teensy swell of revolution in a few French wine cellars, an experiment to try to recreate what rosé used to be before the wine scientists fangled up the rosé winemaking recipe.
Rosé with Pizza?
by Kermit Lynch
Here in California where I grew up, pizza used to be a tough crust oozing with the cheapest cheese money could buy and a tomato sauce so raunchy it took a dose of macho red wine to wash it down. Cleanse the palate, as we gourmets say today. But the pizza scene has evolved, and I’m here to suggest that nowadays certain rosés can be perfectly appropriate with pizza. No, I’m not talking about those faceless rosés that flood the market. Here at 1605? At Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant? Where have you been? While almost no one was looking, there was a teensy swell of revolution in a few French wine cellars, an experiment to try to recreate what rosé used to be before the wine scientists fangled up the rosé winemaking recipe. As importers, KLWM encouraged that budding revolution and we are seeing occasional bottled results to offer for your approval and enjoyment at table.
For one thing, these are rosés that, like all red wines, finish their malolactic fermentation. It is not artificially blocked as it is in 99.9% of rosé wines. Most are bottled without filtration. Bottled intact, in other words. They ferment completely dry, can be light or full-bodied, and often they offer more tannin than we’ve learned to expect, a tannin that can come in handy with a classic pizza. Some look like rosé but have a purple heart.
I find them interesting gastronomically, because they don’t overpower the taste of whatever you serve. And of course, imagine how useful they are if, like me, you don’t always want white wine with fish.
Our stocks change. These are not assembly-line productions. Nor are they like Beaujolais Nouveau with a given release date. And I don’t want to forget mentioning, these rosés are totally appropriate during all four seasons. A Vivaldian wine, anyone?
Drop by to talk to our staff or call 510.524.1524. In the kitchen and at table, I’m having a lot of fun with these precursors. They are paving the way for the success of a more natural, old-fashioned style rosé vinification. It’s like a new toy. Here are some great rosés available now and there will be more as time goes by.
Wines In The Collection
Château Thivin France | Beaujolais
Sourced from the pink granite terroir of Brouilly, this rosé is simply delicious, with good grip and notes of summery red berries.
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
April Club Gourmand ~ Matthieu Baudry captures both youthful fruit and energizing mineral textures with this rosé.
Gaël Petit France | Southern Rhône
This bears a rich bouquet of wild strawberry, flowers, garrigue, and sweet spices, culminating in a long, stony finale.
Steiger-Kalena Italy | Molise
There’s a quality that almost feels mouth-cleansing; like a spoonful of zesty citrus sorbet in the middle of a multi-course meal.
Masseria del Pino Italy | Sicily
A rosé made via ancient methods from ashy soils high on Mount Etna.
France | Beaujolais
Sourced from the pink granite terroir of Brouilly, this rosé is simply delicious, with good grip and notes of summery red berries.
France | Loire
April Club Gourmand ~ Matthieu Baudry captures both youthful fruit and energizing mineral textures with this rosé.
France | Southern Rhône
This bears a rich bouquet of wild strawberry, flowers, garrigue, and sweet spices, culminating in a long, stony finale.
Italy | Molise
There’s a quality that almost feels mouth-cleansing; like a spoonful of zesty citrus sorbet in the middle of a multi-course meal.
Italy | Sicily
A rosé made via ancient methods from ashy soils high on Mount Etna.
More Collections
Northern Rhône
“Nowadays, when heading north from Provence, I hear Paul Tardieu’s passionate exclamation, ‘Once you know Provence, you don’t ever want to leave it. No one ever goes back north, no one!’ If over the years I have grown attached to Provence, in terms of wine itself my heart belongs to the great reds of the northern Rhône. The best combine a reminder of the sunny Mediterranean with the more self-conscious, intellectual appeal of the great Burgundies farther north, which is not a bad combination. And these prized wines of the northern Rhône are some of France’s rarest.” –Kermit Lynch, Adventures on the Wine Route
Fine Wine Bargains
Once I left Burgundy and began exploring elsewhere, I noticed that France and Italy produced incredible bargains, especially if one looked where no one else was looking. Nothing makes me prouder (commercially speaking, anyway) than returning home with yet another fine wine bargain for you...
Very Vieilles Vignes
This collection features wine produced mainly from vines planted before 1950, with some going as far back as 150 years—these twelve wines are truly very old-vine gems! Don’t miss some of France and Italy’s greatest viticultural treasures.…
A Trio of Spring Samplers
Even if you generally like to buy individual bottles, our latest collection of curated sampler packs offers a great opportunity to discover new wines in categories that you already know and enjoy…
Nebbiolo by Another Name
In December of last year, the excellent wine blog, “Opening a Bottle,” likened one of our wines to Shohei Ohtani, the 30-year-old Japanese phenom who has changed the game of baseball and might go down as the greatest player of all time. I’ve thought about this comparison nearly every day since, wondering each time I take a sip of red Burgundy, Barolo, or Côte-Rôtie, “Could this also be considered the Shohei Ohtani of wine?”
I finally tasted a worthy contender—or set of contenders—last month...
New Arrivals
Here is a collection of recent arrivals. Every week, we’ll be adding a dozen or more new arrivals, so check back often for your favorite classics or new discoveries!
The Carpe Vinum Collection
An ever-changing offering of wines that are just about to sell out; one last opportunity to seize a range of selections before they disappear from our shelves forever.
50th Anniversary Merchandise
When the esteemed French wine artist Michel Tolmer created beautiful artwork for our 50th anniversary, we knew right away that we had to feature it on a few select items of merch. After spending maybe a little too much time researching the options, we landed on a classy, leather-strap cap, a comfortable t-shirt made from 100% cotton, and a tote made with incredibly sturdy, fair-trade, and organic cotton by a certified B corp that invests in the livelihoods of women and farmers of India, featuring three wine sleeves and two other compartments for all of your other needs!
Recent Wine Club Selections
Our five wine clubs feature our best values from France and Italy as well as complex and cellar-worthy wines.