The rosés are really blooming

The most recent sales figures (from the Nielson Company) show that rosé table-wine sales (dry pink) continue to surge.

While blush (sweet pink) wines still dominate the category, with more than 8 percent of all table-wine sales, their growth has topped out. Meanwhile, rosé table wine sales (defined as wines priced over $6.50) are up almost 24 percent in the past year. Anecdotal evidence such as restaurant wine lists, conversations with wine retailers and the growing number of wineries making dry rosés suggests that more and more consumers are discovering the pleasures of these quintessential deck wines.

Rosés come in a wide variety of colors and flavors, and setting a few different bottles out on the table is the vinous equivalent of a springtime bouquet. You want to drink them young and fresh, and most retailers are now stocking rosés from the 2006 vintage. A few 2005s remain and have made this recommended list, but I would be careful about anything older.

Rosés from the Pacific Northwest often are the first to arrive on store shelves. Among them are a pair of Oregon pinot noir rosés, done in the saignée style (literally, juice "bled" from the tanks before fermentation). Look for the lovely Ponzi 2006 Pinot Noir Rosato ($17) and the Hamacher 2006 Pinot Noir Rosé, both fresh and pretty with bright fruit flavors.

Some interesting Cotes du Rhone-style rosés are also making an entrance. But act quickly because these take their bows and exit promptly. Alongside the Cotes du Rhone Pick of the Week (see box), here are a couple made in Washington that you'll want to try. Syncline always leads the pack. Its 2006 Rosé ($14) — a blend of grenache, mourvèdre and cinsault — is a delightful basket of tangy fruits: berries, citrus, rhubarb. A fitting companion is Isenhower's 2006 Rosé ($17), made in a similar style with counoise in place of cinsault. Only 100 cases were produced, and the wine is sold directly from the winery.

I would be remiss if I left out the expanding lineup from California's Solo Rosa, which first introduced a barrel-fermented dry rosé several years ago. Solo Rosa's lineup now includes three different bottlings: the original Solo Rosa 2006 Rosé $16 (a blend of Atlas Peak sangiovese and Lodi merlot); a wonderfully delicate Solo Rosa 2006 Pinot Noir Rosé ($20); and a Solo Rosa 2006 Syrah Rosé ($28), with bigger, broader, more substantial fruit.

Finally, Chateau Ste. Michelle has a new wine called 'Nellie's Garden' Dry Rosé ($13). This is widely available, basically a rosé syrah. A pale cranberry color, it is fresh, bright and tart, with crisp acids and a finish that shows some of the white peppery character of the grape.

Willis Hall

From time to time, I have the opportunity to sit down with one of the many home winemakers-turned-pro, and here is where the really good stories start to roll. John Bell, sole proprietor of Willis Hall, began his pursuit of winemaking as a member of the Boeing Wine Club. After many years and a slate of awards, Bell retired and began a second career as a full-time winemaker.

His first vintage was 2003, produced while he was wrapping things up at Boeing. He made about 1,200 cases, spread over a diverse portfolio including merlot, malbec, a pair of cabernets, a cabernet franc, a syrah, a grenache and a sangiovese.

In 2004, newly retired, he ran smack into the Freeze, which forced him to find new sources for grapes and to change his winemaking plans. Several vineyard owners stepped up and offered grapes — a good thing — but then in 2005, Bell found that he suddenly had twice the number of grapes he needed, as his old suppliers returned. Production reached 2,500 cases ("more than I ever wanted to make") and climbed still higher in 2006.

Bell, like so many winemakers I've met, takes the various slings and arrows in stride and tells some funny tales. A glass of his 2003 Symposium ($14) — a remarkable blend of syrah, zin, counoise, cinsault and sangiovese that barely reaches 12 percent alcohol — launches a fascinating tale of winemaking gone wrong. "Twelve percent alcohol!" he exclaims. "How on Earth did I make that without adding water?" The story of his "rescue wine," as he wryly names it, ultimately ends happily: Symposium turns out to be a very pleasant quaffer, with good color, plummy fruit, an affordable price tag and exceptionally low alcohol.

Most of Bell's wines hover in the 13-percent alcohol range, a welcome respite from the palate-thrashers that so many boutiques produce. He sources his grapes from several vineyards that are a bit off the beaten track — Snipes Canyon Ranch, Chandler Reach and Destiny Ridge among them — and he works with some nonstandard grapes such as Dolcetto, tempranillo, malbec, nebbiolo and sangiovese.

It would be astonishing if every wine in such a young and broad portfolio hit a home run, and they do not. But when Bell rings one up, it's a pleasure. I particularly like these current Willis Hall releases; for purchase information, consult www.willishall.com:

Willis Hall 2005 Snipes Canyon Ranch Viognier; $20. Wonderfully fragrant with citrus, beeswax, orange peel, lime and hints of stone. It's full but not fat, nice bright acid lifts the mid-palate, and it cruises through a lingering, fresh and fully ripe finish, with no heat or bitterness.

Willis Hall 2004 Syrah; $26. This is the winery's strong suit, firm and loaded with spicy berries, a mix of blackberry, boysenberry, loganberry. Ripe and tart, there is an undercurrent of earth and chocolate, lifted with citrus rind around the edges.

Willis Hall 2004 Sangiovese; $20. A beautiful color, clear and medium rosé with a hint of brick, it's packed with flavor. There's a touch of leather but plenty of juicy, plummy cherry fruit, cut tobacco and the varietal's characteristic sharp acid.

Willis Hall 2003 Merlot; $26. This is a better, bigger, more authoritative wine than the cabernet, powered by spicy fruit, with a crisp, cinnamon kick to the finish. Round, soft plum and cherry flavors are set against medium tannins, and a dense finish with dark chocolate, smoke and a satisfying streak of espresso.

Willis Hall 2005 Orange Muscat 'Passito'; $27/375 ml. This may be the only passito-style dessert wine made in Washington. The muscat grapes are air-dried (to concentrate flavors), then the withered, raisiny berries are slowly fermented. You'll taste luscious honey, malt, apricot purée, golden raisins, orange peel and a lingering, buttery denouement. Yuh-um!

Finding the wine

Unless noted, all Wine Adviser recommendations are currently available, though vintages may sometimes differ. All wine shops and most groceries have a wine specialist on staff. Show them this column, and if they do not have the wine in stock, they can order it for you from the local distributor.

Paul Gregutt's column appears weekly

in the Wine section. He can be reached

by e-mail at wine@seattletimes.com.