How about a dozen rosés for Valentines and Galentines? Or maybe just one? To help you choose, and to offer up cheesy, easy, romantic menu ideas, keep reading!  In Part 1, we share six old world rose wines each with a twist paired with four different Croque monsieur grilled cheese sandwiches, and in Part 2, we have six rose from California with Monte Cristo grilled cheese sandwiches. Why? This month’s Wine Pairing Weekend theme with host is Pretty In Pink! Read host Camilla Mann’s invite here; scroll down for links to participants and for the list of our six California roses. 

6 Old World Rosé Wines — with a twist!

• France: one sparkling, one still
  NV La Burgondie Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Rose, AOC 
  yes it’s sparkling but from where? and how much??
  NV Maison Lorgeril “O de Rose” Languedoc
  French rose but not from Provence!
• Czech Republic
  2021 Thaya Blaufrankisch Rose Wine, South Moravia, Czech Republic
  how many wines have you had from the Czech Republic? (check out this Chardonnay!)
• Germany
  2018 August Kessler “The Daily August” Rheingau Rose of Pinot Noir
  yes, there’s lots of PN in Germany — and some of it becomes rose!
• Portugal
  2021 Adega Mayor “Tudo ao Molho” Alentejo
  a blend of red and white grapes vinified together 
• Italy 
  2021 Frignano Sgarbato Pet Nat Uva Tosca Sparkling Wine
  a super rare Italian grape — and a Pet Nat which means more bubbles! 

We tasted each of the wines with Sue taking notes, then we tried each wine with a bite of each croquet monsieur, a slurp of soup, and a forkful of salad to see how they each worked out. Overall with our pairings, I think Sue and I would agree that the strawberry salad is the clearest winner! 

Menu for 6 Old World Rosé Wines: 4 Different Croque Monsieur   

• Croque Monsieur Grilled Cheese 4 Ways on Brioche Bread
  #1 Croque monsieur with a béchamel Mornay sauce: 
  Ham and Gruyere with mustard
  #2 Croque monsieur with a béchamel Mornay sauce: 
  Ham and Comte with mustard
  #3 Croque monsieur poulet with a béchamel Mornay sauce: 
  Ham, Chicken, and Gruyere with curry apricot mustard 
  #4 Croque provençal with a béchamel Mornay sauce 
  Ham, Comte, and Tomato with mustard 
• Strawberry Salad with Spiced Pecans and Goat Cheese on Spring Greens
• Smoked Squash Soup with Sherry

First a quick primer on how rose is made:

1) a wine made with white grapes with some wine made from red grapes mixed in to make it pink
2) a wine made from a mix of red and white grapes which are often grown together in the field 
3) a wine made from red grapes that have had little contact with the skins and so have little color
intentionally, meaning they are  picked earlier when than if they would be made into a red wine; this is the most common method for still rose wines
4) a wine made from the juice that bleeds off from red grapes that will be made into red wine to concentrate the red wine; bleeding this juice off into a rose is called a saignee 

France 
NV La Burgondie Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Rose, AOC 

ABV: 12%
SRP: $12 at Trader Joe’s
Grapes: Pinot Noir
Importer: Plume Ridge
purchased at Trader Joe’s 

When the sample of Champagne Pommery didn’t arrive in time, I picked this wine up from Trader Joe’s. It’s one of my friend Amy’s favorite sparkler, and I had a glass recently at her birthday tea party. I have to admit I love it best on ice with a splash of Angeleno Amaro from Ventura Spirits– now that’s a way to get a party started! 

As this wine is made with pinot noir, a red grape, correlates with method #3 above.

Appearance:  Very pretty, light pink with a touch of copper or gold

Aroma: Strawberry, raspberry, minerality, fennel, grasses,  there is a greenness, fresh rose petals, carnation, simple affordable cremant,

Palate: Fresh tart raspberry, bright acidity, a little creaminess on the finish as well as with the bubbles, brioche, fresh raspberry croissant, toast with raspberry preserves, 

Pairing: So delicious with the fresh strawberry salad and the spicy nuts. What a fantastic salad loving wine! Very good with our soup as well loving the rich creaminess and the light smoky characeteristic of this dish. So very good with the umami of the tomato and the nutty flavors of the comte, the Croque provençal really elevated the wine. Very good with the chicken with the curry mustard. Such great flavor profiles together. However our absolutely favorite with this wine was the tomato and comte aka Croque provençal.

France
NV Maison Lorgeril “O de Rose” Languedoc
ABV: 13.5%
SRP: $20
Grapes: 60% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 5% Viognier, 
Importer: Albert Bichot USA
Purchased on sale

I’m not exactly sure whether I bought this wine at Grocery Outlet or whether it was sent as a sample. Either way, when I went looking for my dozen rose wines, I thought this would be a good addition.

This wine is made from red grapes with little plus a little of the white grape Viognier that as Lilly co-fermented with the Syrah, so a combination of #2 and #3.

Appearance:  Very pale pink, rose gold

Aroma: Lots of sweet floral notes, cherry koolaid, fruit punch, fruit salad, bubble gum, Very sweet smelling nose

Palate: Bone dry on the palate, ruby grapefruit, pomelo, bitter citrus pith, mint, 

Pairing: So good with the salad, the wine loves the fresh strawberries and the richness of the pecans as well as a hint of spicy heat in the nuts, twas a very nice pairing. Sue felt that the best sandwich with this wine was the best with the traditional Croque Monsieur, It did fine with the chicken with curry mustard as well. 

Czech Republic
2021 Thaya Blaufrankisch Rose Wine, South Moravia, Czech Republic 
ABV: 12.5%
SRP: $20
Grapes: Organic Blaufrankisch
Importer VeroVino
Sample 

How fun is this wine? How often do you get to taste wine from the Czech Republic? And Blaufrankisch is not common in the US either! Thaya is located in in South Moravia on the Austrian border where the soil is granite and loess with some calcareous clay. Read about Thaya’s Chardonnay here.

As blaufranisch is a red grape, this wine is made using method #3.

Appearance: Pale salmon, platinum rim 

Aroma: Rose geranium, creekside, mint, fresh mint, fresh sage, 

Palate: Sweet tarts like the candies, not super sweet but there is a sweetness, slick mouthfeel, very pleasing, there is a nice roundness, clean with a nice round texture, fresh yet not bracing, sweet without being sweet, nicely balanced, clove, 

Pairing: Think Asian food, the wine loves the strawberry salad, it loves the brightness of the strawberries and the creamy goat cheese, so good, the wine also responds to the creamy richness and the smoke in the soup, the sweetness of the wine is mellowed by the rich meal, not the best pairing with our tomato sandwich, the only sandwich that this wine really worked with this wine was the traditional Croque Monsour, all of the other variations fought with the wine and were really not nice pairing. 

Germany
2018 August Kessler “The Daily August” Rheingau Rose of Pinot Noir

ABV: 12.%
SRP: ????
Grapes: Pinot Noir
Importer: Vineyard Brands
purchased on sale 

Certain importers and certain wineries give me confidence in selecting a wine, especially at a place like Grocery Outlet. So when I saw August Kessler and Vineyard Brands on this wine at Grocery Outlet, I nabbed it. People usually limit Germany to Riesling and sweet wines but they also have a lot of great PN so no surprise some of it becomes rose. 

As pinot noir is a red grape, this would be made using #3.

Appearance:  Pale copper with a platinum rim

Aroma: Roses, potpourri, a bouquet of flowers, cherry blossom, rose geranium, lavender, herbs de Provence.

Palate: A bit on the sweet side, tart, tingly on the tongue, it feels effervescent but there isn’t any bubbles or effervescence in the glass, cranberry, orange oil, a very interesting and unique wine, white pepper finish after the orange oil diminishes. 

Pairing: Think Asian food, the sweetness will work well with that, Works very nicely with the strawberry salad, still has the tingly sensation with the salad, the acidity in the lettuce and the strawberry mitigates the effervescent characteristics of the wine. The rich creamy buttery nutty characteristics of the soup tame the sweet characteristics in the wine making the wine so much more interesting. The brioche was a bit two sweet for this wine, it went best with our curry apricot mustard sandwich, but it still wasn’t fantastic because the sandwich and the bread was a bit too sweet to pair with this wine., 

Portugal
2021 Adega Mayor “Tudo ao Molho” Alentejo|
ABV: 12.5%
SRP: $25? (about 16 euros)
Grapes: Field blend of red and white grapes
Importer ? I don’t think you can find it in the US
Sample 

This was one of the more intriguing and pleasurable wines that I had on my November 2023 trip to Portugal. Adega Mayor is a big and important coffee importer that is “dabbling” in wine — dabbling in contrast to the coffee business but quite large and serious! While their sparkling wines are quite delicious, at the end of our tour there, when I asked about purchasing this wine that had so caught my fancy, we five journalists were offered a wine of our choice– and three of us chose this one, while the other two chose the sparkling. They also have a line of organic wines that tempted me but not like this one. They have more “serious” wines as well that are available more widely but this one is so engaging. Sorry! You just have to visit Portugal to get one of your own! 

This wine is made by combining a field blend of red and white grapes which is called a “Palhete” wine in Portugal. This one was made using 50% whole cluster with a cold ferment in stainless steel.  Should you get to Portugal, this is a must visit for wine and coffee lovers! Definitely visit the museum–give yourself plenty of time!

Note: The label says it’s a red wine. But the bottle is clear glass– usually reserved for rose. And with the blend of red and white grapes? I say rose!! 

Appearance:  Raspberry with a mauve rim, a deep beautiful color.

Aroma: Very floral and fruity at the same time, vibrant, very fresh and full of life, carnation, clove, raspberry, very inviting, you just want to keep your nose in the glass.

Palate:  Very tart and bright, raspberry, cranberry, juicy, very bright acidity, it is so exciting, minerals are present, chalky tannins, clean and refreshing lingering finish. The 50% whole cluster adds a lovely grippiness to the wine. 

Pairing: Super delicious with the strawberry salad, loves the richness of the pecans, the brightness of the fruit, and the creaminess of the goat cheese, I thought the wine was very nice with the smoked pumpkin soup but Sue really did not care for it and felt that it was too bitter together. Great with the tomato sandwich loving the umami richness which contrasts with the fruit in the wine. Very nice with the Comte’s nutty characteristic. The traditional with Gruyere was good as well but the wine really loved the nutty Comte cheese better. While I felt that this sandwich went really well with this wine ( and it could have been that I really like this wine) Sue did not feel that it went well with the sandwiches. I think this wind could handle just about anything you might try with it! 

Italy 
2021 Frignano Sgarbato Pet Nat Uva Tosca Sparkling Wine

ABV: 11.5%
SRP: $22
Grapes: Organic Uva Tosca
Importer VeroVino
Sample 

Even though we wrote about organic Cantina de Frignano Sgarbato Pet Nat Uva Tosca Sparkling Wine in January 2023, because we loved it so much, I asked VeroVino owner Sheila Donohue about including this wine in the line up and she agreed. When I was in Italy last June I came so close to visiting this winery but alas, there just wasn’t enough daylight. Next time! Read more about the two wines she imports here.

Not only is this wine great for Valentine’s Day, but with a woman at the lm, it’s a great choice for Women’s History Month in March or April with Earth Month. This is a WOW wine for sure! 

Appearance:  Raspberry, cranberry, platinum rim, cloudy, delicate bubbles adhere to the glass

Aroma: Rhubarb, cherry, creek side, hot springs, earthen, forest floor, mushroom 

Palate: “Oh this wine is so good” exclaimed Sue, Fresh and bright, fresh tart cherry, raspberry, raspberry croissant, nicely acidic, mellow tannins, very lively, the flavors are lively and the foam is lively making the fresh raspberry exuberant, like raspberry fizzy candies that are not sweet, clean, refreshing and very enjoyable

Pairing: This wine was good with the strawberry salad, but Sue did not think it was a phenomenal as it was with the other wines. So good with the rich creamy soup. I felt the soup was a bit too vegetal for the wine, but Sue disagreed. The tomato sandwich was alright with the wine but the tomato and the bread was a bit too sweet for the wine. For the classic with comte it was an alright pairing, loved the nutty cheese but the brioche was a bit too sweet for the wine. This wine loved the bechemal on the traditional sandwich with gruyere, very nice with the curry apricot mustard, this sandwich was by far the best with this wine. 

Still thirsty for rose? Want to expand your bouquet?

Well, we have part 2 coming right up with six more from California for you but this time paired with an American version of Croque Monsieur, the Monte Cristo prepared four ways and paired with these:

• Steinbeck Cuvee Rhone Rosé, Paso Robles 
• 2020 Giornata Ramato, Paso Robles 
• 2022 AJA Vineyards Wildflower Rosé, Paso Robles
• 2022 Grandeur Rosé, Monterey
• 2022 Toad Hollow Dry Rosé of Pinot Noir, Sonoma 
• 2020 Sonoma-Cutrer Rosé of Pinot Noir, Sonoma

And the Wine Pairing weekend writers have more for you too! Read host Camilla Mann’s invite here.

• A Dozen Rosés for Valentines and Galentines Part 1: 6 Old World Wines + Croque Monsieur Sandwiches and Part 2: 6 CA Wines + Monte Cristo Sandwiches by Wine Predator…Gwendolyn Alley
• Is Pink Wine the New Winter White? by My Full Wine Glass
• Kimchi Spaghetti with Black Girl Magic Rosé by Cooking Chat
• Marry Me Chicken and Cantina Zaccagnini Il Vino Dal Tralcetto Rose; A Perfect Pairing for your Valentine by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Oltrepo’ Cruasé Wines Paired With Sette Cene Extravaganza by Avvinare;
• Pink Pét-Nats from Around the World with Some Loved Up Bites by Culinary Cam
• Please Be Vine Rosé Bubbles! by The Quirky Cork
• Rose-shaped pasta and Rosé! by Crushed Grape Chronicles
• Salmon en Papillote with Coopers Hawk Katie Lee Biegel Rosé by Our Good Life
• Shrimp Scampi Pizza Paired with Masciarelli Montepulciano Rosé by Vino Travels