Tis the season ... for rose' (or is it rosato?)

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we go through many months of cool, wet, drab weather during fall, winter and spring. So when the skies open up, as they finally have here, everyone goes outside. To garden, plant, walk, hike, ride, play, hop, skip or jump. It doesn't really matter what you do, as long as you can be outside enjoying the sun's rays.

Another thing that goes great with warm, sunny weather is ... pink wine. No, we're not talking about white zinfandel, otherwise known as "mother-in-law wine." We're referring to some of the great dry roses that are available out there. Rose' is the french term for it, and in Italy it's known as rosato. These wines are now made all over the world and some are very good. And they're for the most part pretty affordable.

Rose' wines are made with red grapes, with the exception of sparkling roses. Usually, the winemaker will remove the skins from the grapes within a few days, so the wine retains the pinkish color. The process also reduces the complexity and body of most red wines. Many people who haven't tried some of the world's fine rose' wines think of the type as being sweet and lightweight. It is light, but the roses (or rosatos) we like are dry and luscious.

We recently tried a good example: a 2006 Anoranzo, made in Spain with tempranillo grapes. It's dry but has great fruit and a nice mouthfeel. And the best thing about it is the price: $7.99 at the local Thriftway.

Pink wines are being made in France, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, Australia, and right here in the USA, including our home state of Washington. Most rose' wines go with most foods, although our favorite way of enjoying it is sitting in the back yard on a sun-bathed summer evening, sipping the cool pink goodness. Give it a try -- it's one of the things that's made for summer.