It has been so freaking HOT for so long here in Dallas (40+ days of 100+ degrees) that I have been on a Rose’ kick ever since I tried Charles & Charles. I first wrote about it around July 4th and I’ve been in love ever since.

https://loristwistedcork.wordpress.com/2011/07/03/hot-diggity-dogs-rose/

So I thought why not try more Rose’ and see if they live up to my taste standards and how would it be if I paired them with one of my favorite fast food places…Taco Bell? Yes, Taco Bell…I live in a state where you can get the best Tex-Mex food anywhere, but there is just something about it.

http://www.tacobell.com/

Just to let you know, this list of wines are not your Grandma’s Roses’. They were all dry, bright and refreshing. None of them were cloy or sweet.

The lightest was the 2010 Bieler Pere et Fils from Provence, France. (http://bielerpereetfils.com/) It is made by Charles Bieler who is part of the Charles & Charles creation. The Bieler wine is made with Syrah,Grenache, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The smell: raspberry, lime, and vanilla cream. The taste: light strawberry, lime, blueberry with a mineral finish. A very lovely wine.

2010 Charles & Charles (http://bielerandsmith.com/) made by Bieler and Charles Smith in Washington State is made with Syrah and had a smell of watermelon, strawberry and cilantro. The taste: watermelon, strawberry, Granny Smith apple with a bright, effervescent finish. A really fun wine.

The third wine, 2010 Chateau d’Aqueria from Tavel, France (http://www.aqueria.com/en/wines/5-tavel_chateau_d_aqueria_2010.htm) is a combination of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and Clairette. The smell: raspberry ,vanilla cream. The taste: cherry, strawberry,vanilla. It felt like velvet and had a soft round fruit finish. A really good all around Rose’.

Last was 2010 Calais Winery La Cuvee de Gaston from Dallas.(https://www.calaiswinery.com/) This wine is made from Sangiovese grapes grown in the High Plains region in Texas. The smell: earthy bright cherry. The taste: smokey strawberry, cherry with a light acidity finish. This is a somewhat full-bodied Rose’ with lots of flavor.

I tried 2 items from Taco Bell. One was the Fresco Chicken Soft Taco which had a flour tortilla, grilled chicken, lettuce, and a fresh tomato salsa. The flavors were smoke, cilantro, and a slight citrus acidity from the tomatoes. Very light and fresh tasting.

The other item was the 7-Layer Burrito which had a flour tortilla, spanish rice, beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and guacamole. The flavors were tangy, earth, smoke, and bread.

The first pairing was the Fresco Taco with the Bieler. Both were very compatible and neither changed. I really liked the pairing because both were light enough for Summer.

Next was the Charles & Charles with the Fresco Taco. The wine added a little melon & pepper flavor to the taco but the acidity from the wine cleaned the palate. Overall very refreshing.

The Chateau d’Aqueria actually added a creamy finish to the taco and muted the citrus/herbal flavor of the cilantro. I liked it because I think a little cilantro goes a long way.

Calais’ wine overpowered the taco and added a black pepper & earth flavor. This was not a good pairing because the taco lost its light, summer freshness.

The pairing with the 7-Layer Burrito was next and I started again with the Bieler but this time the wine did not do so well because the tangyness of the guacamole in the burrito, overpowered the wine.

The Charles & Charles was better because it toned down the guacamole and the wine remained bright and refreshing.

The burrito with the Chateau d’Aqueria was a good match because the wine had enough body to handle all of the flavors of the burrito and still retain its velvet smooth finish which is something I enjoyed about this wine from the start.

Last was the Calais wine which added a black pepper element to the burrito (that was fine with me) and the wine retained its bright cherry flavor and remained refreshing. As a side note: I drank this wine with a bacon wrapped beef tenderloin and found that it could handle heavier flavors and still keep its beautiful fruit flavors and remain refreshing on the palate.

I hope you find these Rose’s as fun & refreshing to drink as they were for me…because Twisted Peeps…it’s hotter than Hades out there and you need to remember to drink PLENTY of fluids! 😉

Salud Y’all!