The Hamptons

Here are my extremely strict rules for choosing and drinking rosé wine:

1. Color is part of the experience of drinking a rosé, so by all means choose a color that pleases-say, one that goes well with your bathing suit.
2. Delete from your memory everything you learned about rosé back in the twentiethcentury. Rosé wine has gone through a revolutionary change.
3. Don’t be overly discerning. The quality of rosé wines is now excellent for the most part.
4. Have some fun with it. Anyone who rattles on about depth or complexity in a rosé
   ought to have his glass impounded until he lightens up.
5. Have a few bottles chilled at all times (but not to cryogenic levels) from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
6. Drink your rosé young. The sassy, sprightly qualities fade after a year or two, and not even a shot of botox will revive its youth. 2007 is the vintage you want for the summer of 08.

Here are my current favorites, all reasonably priced, all available on the East End.

From Austria, Tegernseerhof Rosé Zweigelt 2007. Forget the syllables and look for the big “T” on the label. Taste the fresh watermelon and crushed strawberry on your palate. $13 per bottle.

Again from Austria, Anton Bauer Rosé 2007. Gorgeous pink color, floral and berry aroma and a refreshing dry taste. $13.

Just one more from Austria: Leo Hillinger Secco. Definitely in the prosecco style, and we all love our bubbles. Sparkling and elegant, yummy and festive. $17.

From France, Louis Jadot Beaujolais Rosé. You can always trust the Jadot label, and you already know your red Beaujolais. Now look for it in crisp pink. $14 per bottle.

From France, Tavel Rosé 2007, Chateau d”Aqueria. Vibrant salmon color, lush and intense, this is a beauty I keep coming back to. $19.

From Spain, Gran Feudo Rosado 2007. Red berries and floral, all the associations with summer. Zingy, clean and soft. $12.

From New Zealand, Wild Rock Vin Gris Rosé 2007. Pale pink with scents of red cherry, strawberry and spring flowers. Lively and lovely. $16.

Michael Braverman is Editor at Large at Hamptons Magazine and Contributing Editor at Gotham Magazine. He has been the Wine Columnist at The East Hampton Star and he also writes for the polo newsletters, Open Season and Morning Line. We are thrilled to welcome him aboard TheHamptons.com as well! He can be reached at michael[at]thehamptons.com or via our comments page. Braverman is deeply involved in the East End community and serves on the boards of the Hampton Classic Horse Show, the Thomas Moran Trust, the Robert Wilson Watermill Center, and the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center. He has lived most of his life in East Hampton, and was a partner in Braverman Newbold Brennan Real Estate. That business was sold to Sotheby’s International Realty ten years ago, after which he became a journalist.