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One of my favorite movies of all time is A Good Year with Russell Crowe, which tells the story of a hard-living London banker who inherits his uncle’s vineyard in Provence, meets not one but three women of his dreams, and by the end of his film learns to enjoy life a la Provencal. Watching the film, the viewer is immediately caught up in the gorgeous blend of bright yellow sun, wide blue sky, green trees, and the aroma of lavender.

For a few hours in New York recently, the sunny region of Provence touched rain-drenched Manhattan in order to introduce the many rosé wines of the area. The venue, the trendy and very sleek Fig & Olive restaurant, was turned into a mini-Provence with a large screen showcasing all the natural attractions of the region. Dozens of winemakers – many of whom had never had their wines imported in the United States – stood behind cloth-draped tables pouring tastes and explaining their wines.

Côtes de Provence is an AOC (delimited) region in France with a warm Mediterranean climate that seems tailor made for creating the dry, pale pink wine known as rosé that pairs so well with many summer foods. Thirteen grape varieties are allowed to be used by AOC rules, though the most popular are Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and Carignan. Many people do not realize that red wines are produced in the area as well. Though rather rustic overall, many five-star restaurants in Manhattan carry red wines from Provence, and they can be delicious value.

A curious observer will notice two very key things upon entering a trade tasting of rosé wines from Provence. The first is that the wines appear to come in two distinctive colors, a baby pink and a light peach color. The reason for this is because a larger amount of Syrah in the blend produces a pinker wine, while Cinsault produces a more tangerine color. The second thing people may notice is that while many producers continue to market the wine in the traditional skittle-shaped (like an hourglass) bottle, many wines are now produced in the generic bottle shape.

After speaking to some producers, there are advantages and disadvantages to both. The traditional bottle is attractive to look at and sends a romantic marketing message to potential buyers. The problem with the traditional bottle is that it is hard to affix a label, and packing the irregular sized bottles for shipment can be challenging.

During the tasting I had a chance to chat with Julien Camus, President of the French Wine Society in Washignton DC. Mr. Camus’s objective is to train wine educators about the wines of France and the educational program appears very rich. We discussed the region a bit and the good news for Provence is that dry rosé sales are seeing double-digit growth in the United States. Why? The reasons are many, but in my estimation the key reason is that young wine drinkers see dry rosé as the sophisticated drink of summer.

Now that it is May, rosé sipping season is in full bloom. If you want to try dry rosé before you buy, find a wine store near you and ask if they will be holding any rosé wine tastings. Then just make a plan to attend and make notes of which wines you like. Typically rosé wines from Provence are well balanced in terms of medium acidity and slightly lower tannins. Each wine differs, yet the nose is often floral with hints of sweet fruit, and the palate is medium bodied with a crisp finish.

Rosé wine goes with a wide variety of picnic and brunch fair, especially composed salads. Even if you are stuck in the city for summer, when you pour yourself a glass of rosé you can feel as if you are on a St. Tropez beach.

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