La Bella Rose

La Bella Rose is a rosé from Esplanda, made in Massachusetts. The label doesn't give the grape blend, vintage or alcohol level, so what follows describes how dry rosés from cool-climate New England usually behave. Expect pale salmon to light pink color, with bright red-fruit aromas like strawberry, raspberry and watermelon, perhaps with a citrus-peel or faint floral note. Rosés in this style are typically light to medium in body with little or no oak, and they have almost no perceptible tannin. Acidity tends to run crisp in cooler growing regions, and that gives a clean, fairly short finish that invites the next sip. Serve it well chilled, around 45 to 50°F (7 to 10°C). Roughly two hours in the refrigerator or thirty minutes in an ice bucket gets it there. Colder than that mutes the fruit, and warmer makes a light rosé taste flabby. There's no reason to decant. Pour it straight from the bottle into a tulip-shaped white wine glass or a standard all-purpose glass. The narrower rim holds the delicate berry aromas, and a stem keeps your hand from warming the wine. At the table, a rosé like this suits food that is salty, fresh or lightly cooked. Good matches include goat cheese salad, grilled shrimp, steamed clams, and a Cape-style lobster roll. Charcuterie, prosciutto with melon, and grilled chicken with herbs also work, as do tomato-based salads. The acidity cuts through fried food, so it can handle fish and chips or calamari. If you plan to serve spicy dishes, a mild heat level such as a Thai salad or chicken tacos will pair better than a fiery one. Treat this as a drink-now bottle. Most rosé is made for freshness, and its fruit and acidity are at their best in the first year or two after release. Cellaring seldom adds anything. Keep it upright in a cool, dark spot until you chill it, and finish the bottle within a day or two of opening, re-corked or sealed and kept in the fridge.