Nearly Summer - Bring on the rosé! --Jane Tolbert

Ah, those warm summer evenings. A chilled glass of crisp rosé would be just the thing to accompany pizza from the Bilboquet in Magagnosc (near Grasse), summer salads or seafood . . . . In France, especially in Provence, you can find these reasonably priced rosé wines in all grocery stores. But when you are in the States, grocery store shelves are lined with the pink-colored white Zinfandel. Not the same! Liquor and wine stores provide the main selection of rosé from Provence. So what's the appeal? Traditionally, French cuisine has required specific wines with specific foods (such as red with red meat) and a specific order (if you start with red, you continue with red; if you begin with a white, you can continue with white or move to red). But lifestyles have changed, and consumption of rosé has increased, from 10.8 percent in 1990 to 25 percent in 2010, according to the Vins de Provence website. Most French rosés, which are made from red grapes macerated for a short period, come from Provence--that southern region along the Mediterranean. Provence produces 38 percent of domestic rosé (or approximately 150-million bottles per year) and 8 percent of world production. Among the best are those from Bandol. Right now, in my frig, I have a chilled Moncigale Côtes de Provence. So what's the appeal? More traditional meals or formal settings may require specific wines with specific foods, a rosé goes with just about everything. Now, about that pizza and the Moncigale. . . . Care to join me? Tips on purchasing a rosé--I would purchase from a wine store. Look for labels that carry Appelation D'Origine Controlée, AOC Côtes de Provence. AOC guarantees the origin of the product. Santé! Tchin-tchin! Cheers!