Summer is still here and Rose' is my wine of choice. They are refreshing, food friendly and easy drinking. The color of any wine comes from the skin. White wines have little or no skin contact with the juice. Red wines can see a few weeks of skin contact. Rose's can see a few hours to a few days of contact. The longer the skins sit with the wine, the darker the wine will be. Some Rose's can be light and rusty colored, others may be a deep ruby color.

The blending of a red and white wine is frowned upon. White Zinfandel, White Merlot and so on, are blended wines. They are sweet white wines initially a red will be added for the pink color. Rose's are seldom aged in wood and have very fresh flavors.

The best value wines are coming from Spain. Their rose's are made Grenache, Tempranillo, and some others. They are fruit forward with a little pepperyness to them. Look for wines from the vintner, Borsao.

Most French Rose's are made from Grenache, Syrah and Morvedre. They come from Rhone, Provence, and Languedoc. These are very mineral driven, refreshing wines. You get a lot of chalky flavors along with tart strawberry and cranberry notes. Look for a Minervois from the vintner, Donjon.

In America, Rose is made from a lot of different red grapes. Pinot Noir is one of the most widely produced. The American Rose's are riper, have a lot more fruit flavors and less earthiness. A to Z Winery makes a nice Rose that is mostly Pinot Noir. Ojai makes a great Rose of Syrah.

These wines are food friendly. Pair them with mild cheeses, salads and general cookout food.