5 fabulous rosé wines

Why It's Good:

Offset sunny days and steamy nights with the delicious and tantalizing refreshment of oh-so-seasonally appropriate, hip wine choice du jour, rosé.

Why It's Green:

These rosé selections are either certified organic, meaning the grapes were cultivated without the use of any kind of chemical spray (as they are with regular wines—ick), or were cultivated in an organically minded way.

Everything's Coming Up Rosé (Wine, That Is!)

Rosá is hot! Drinking it has gone up more than 100% in the past few years, and I predict this trend will continue. Many people are discovering that not all rosás are fruity, bright and sweet; most are refined and dry. And a well-balanced rosá can be one of the most food-friendly wines on the planet—full of lively acidity, fresh fruit, and instilled with the cool spirit that comes with warmer weather.

Someone altogether unfamiliar with rosás might assume they're produced by watering down red wine. In fact, most rosá is produced by leaving crushed grapes in contact with their skins for a very brief period of time (only a day or two) to add a bit of color and richness before separating them. For red wines, the grapes are left in contact with the skins much longer, as the skins contain the two essential elements to a red: tannin and color. For white wines, the grapes are pressed and separated immediately, so that the skins can't impart any color or tannins.

With a temperament in between white and red, rosás can be at once refreshing and light, filling and satisfying. They are the perfect spring and summer wine (although I love them year-round!): playful, fun, and casual. Long considered to be more of a table wine than a collector's item (especially since they are almost always best drunk young), even the most classic rosás are reasonably priced at around $20. Here are a few of my favorite organic and sustainable rosás.—Michael Green

2007 Domaine de la Citadelle Le Chataignier Rosá, Provence France
Although rosás can be found in almost every wine-producing region, Provence and the Rhone Valley are particularly well-known for them. Provençal winemaker Yves Riusset-Rouard, owner of Domaine de la Citadelle, has been hand-harvesting their Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, and Syrah grapes. Fermented in stainless steel, this wine is clean and crisp.

2006 Prieurá de Montezargues, Tavel, France (pictured, center)
Tavel is the only wine region in France that produces exclusively rosás, using a blend of nine different grapes, and Tavel rosás are the only ones on the menus of all Michelin-three-star restaurants in France. Their full, fruity rosás go back to the 18th century. The 2006 Prieurá de Montezargues is organic (but sans certification, in this case): free from chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides in all stages of growth and production. Full of ripe berry flavor and delicate acidity, this rosá is made for a summer day.

2006 Viña Ijalba DOC Rioja, Spain
Rioja is famous for its Temperanillo, the grape of those warm and filling Rioja reds that have made such a splash on the wine scene in recent years. Viña Ijalba proves that the grape makes an amazing rosá, too, a well-balanced, classically Spanish one that has been organically made since 1994.

2007 Wölffer Estate Rosá, the Hamptons, LI
Winemakers who don't specialize or have a tradition of making rosás are now producing well-balanced, gorgeous pink wines that won't get you kicked out of your local oenophiles' club. From the Hamptons comes this sustainably produced blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Made by German winemaker Christian Wölffer, this pale pink rosá is fresh and restrained with dark fruit undertones.

NV Domaine Carneros Brut Rosá, Napa Valley (pictured, left)
Domaine Carneros earned full organic certification last April, becoming America's first certified organic sparkling winery. French champagne giant Taittinger, owner of Domaine Carneros, has been producing amazing sparkling wines sustainably since the late 80s, so this is no gimmick and the taste proves it. This blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is made in the classic French tradition of dry sparkling rosás, but has a fruitiness that can only come from warm and sunny California. Enjoy.