Note: Oliver’s 20% Off Rosé sale runs from July 17-23, 2024 at all four Oliver’s Market locations.

Rosés are the ultimate summer wine! Bright & vibrant, with beautiful hues from pale pink to almost red, they often have pronounced aromas of strawberry and watermelon, and are mouthwateringly refreshing on the palate. Possessing many white wine qualities, combined with attributes from their red grape origins, their crispness, body, and acidity make them outstanding aperitifs, and they are beautiful wines for pairing with food. Salads and pastas, fish courses and poultry are all excellent partners, and given the right accompaniments, these wines will make a perfect match with many a cheese.

Here at Oliver’s Market, we have an amazing domestic and international selection of Rosés, including some delicious gems from right here in our own backyard. Take advantage of this special pricing to stock up on your favorites or try something new.

Making Rosé

Before we get any further, do you know how Rosé is made? Any red wine grape can be used and it can happen in any one of three ways:

Direct Press Method: A winemaker harvests and presses fully ripe red wine grapes, leaving the skins with the juice for a limited period to extract desired color before removing the skins from the tanks.

Many people are not aware that the juice inside of both red and white grapes is a clear liquid. Grape skins contain pigments which give the grape – and wine — its color. In contrast to red wine making, the winemaker removes the skins once the fermenting must has achieved the desired pink color.

Many winemakers profess that direct press rosé is the purest form. It preserves all of the light red fruit, citrus, melon, and floral aromatics of the wine

Saignée or Bled Method: Saignée (sohn-yay) means “to bleed,” and is one of the most common ways to make rosé. Like the direct press method, a winemaker starts with ripe red wine grapes, but in this case the grapes are harvested for making a red wine.

When the grapes are brought to the winery, they are put into a fermentation vessel for anywhere from two hours to several days. During this time, the weight of the grapes on top of each other cause the grapes to break open, allowing the juice to come out. Similar to the direct press method, the clear grape juice comes in contact with the pigments of the grape skins. Since the juice and grapes are together in a large vessel, the amount of pigment that the juice extracts from the skins is greater, causing the juice to turn a darker hue of pink. Once the desired time frame is up, the winemaker will “bleed,” or drain off a portion of the juice from the tank. A lovely shade of pink juice is now separated and able to ferment on its own without any more color extraction.

Saignée method rosés are often darker in color than direct press rosés and sometimes have more dark fruit notes of dark cherry, blackberry, blueberry, and herbal notes like eucalyptus or bay laurel. This method is very popular in Spain where they produce very dark red wines such as Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mencia, Bobal, and Trepat.

Blending Method: A less common third option is also used, which involves blending red and white wine lots together to achieve the desired style outcome.

Rosé Color, Style, and Enjoyment

The color, body, and overall style profile of Rosé varies based on the red grape variety used, the winemaking method selected, and the winemaker’s desired style. As a result, color is not always an indicator of body, but is a great place to start!

One thing is for sure when shopping for Rosés this week at 20% off: It will be hard to go wrong with any of our selections! Our buying team tastes every wine we carry to ensure we are offering our customers the best possible selection, so you can select your wines at our stores with confidence.

Perfect for a Picnic

Rosé is so versatile and delicious, but one place it really shines is with a delicious Wine Country picnic! Chill your Rosé, pack your basket, and make a plan. Will it be the coast? A favorite grassy knoll? Or maybe a table in the Redwoods. Our buying team gathered up some great items at special pricing this week, so take a look and make some plans to enjoy Rosé and the beautiful place we are fortunate to call home al fresco!

• Oliver’s Own Coleslaw, $3.49/lb.
• Oliver’s Own Spinach Dip, 8 oz. Container, $3.99/ea.
• Morenita Tortilla Chips, Selected Varieties, 12-14 oz. Bag, $3.99
• Nixie Sparkling Water, Selected Varieties, 8 pack/12 oz. Cans, $3.99+CRV
• Organic Green and Red Grapes, Grown by Sunview in Delano, CA, $2.99/lb.
• Organic Celery, Grown by Josie’s in Salinas, CA, $1.99/ea.
• Organic Radishes, Grown in California, $1.49/ea.
• Organic Blackberries, 6 oz. Package, Grown by Tomatoero in Watsonville, CA, $3.49/ea.
• Tim’s Potato Chips Cascade or Hawaiian Style, 7-7.5 oz. Bag, $2.99
• Monte Pollino Wafer Cookies, 275g Package, $3.49
• Costeaux Olive Baton, 10 oz. Loaf, $3.99 LOCAL
• Caseficio dell’Alta Langa “La Tur”, $19.99/lb.
Note: A dreamy blend of cow, goat, and sheep’s milk, a bite of La Tur is like devouring a slice of cheesecake descended from heaven. The texture is light and fluffy with a rich and creamy mouthfeel. The delicate rind slowly ripens into a runny cream line yielding a balanced cheese with notes of fresh sweet milk, subtle grassy herbaceous notes, and a bright lemony finish.
• Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog, $25.99/lb.
Note: Mary Keehn burst on the goat dairy scene in the 1970s when she decided to raise Alpine goats as a source of healthful milk for her children. Handcrafted in Arcata, CA “Humboldt Fog” is recognized by its distinctive ribbon of edible vegetable ash running through the center of the fluffy white paste. A pillowy soft bloomy rind ripens the dense paste to an unctuous creamline, adding complexity of flavor to the mildly herbaceous and citrusy heart. Perfect to pair with one of our many preserves and a glass of chilled rose.
• Martin des Pyrenees Rose Petal Confit, 4.23 oz. Jar, $3.99/ea.
Note: A delicate twist on your everyday preserves, Martin des Pyrenees Rose Petal Confit brings something different to your cheese board. Nothing says love like roses and cheese, why not do both. Made with rose petals and infused with rose essence, this preserve pairs perfectly La Tur, and your favorite Rose wine.
• Rustic Bakery Crisps, 5 oz. Package, $5.99/ea. LOCAL
Note: These delicious, seeded crisps from Rustic Bakery have little pieces of dried fruit nestled into every bite, leading to a sweet and savory experience that doesn’t disappoint. With fun flavors like cherry almond, ginger and citrus, and apricot pistachio, Rustic Bakery’s crisps bring a fun, colorful addition to your next charcuterie board.
• Creminelli Artisan Salami, Selected Varieties, 5.5 oz. Package, $9.99/ea.
Note: These artisan salamis are made with traditional Italian methods and fermented with cultures that have been used by the Creminelli family for centuries. Starting with clean, humanely raised pork blended with unique hand-selected spices and aromatics, there is a variety to please every palate. Rich, delicious, and ready to eat, serve thinly sliced on a charcuterie board.

Enjoying Rosé

Versatile and delicious, enjoy your glass of chilled Rosé anywhere and anytime. It seems to be especially lovely when sipped outdoors at a picnic or on a patio, but that is just the beginning! Check out our Rosé cocktail recipes for Rosé and Berry Mojito, Raspberry Rosé Wine Floats or Grown-Up Rosé Slushies. Take your Rosé focused evening to new heights by making Rosé Coq Au Vin,  a Rosé Granita or Rosé Poached Peaches.

Delicious, versatile, refreshing, and celebrating the season, Rosés are just the ticket to make summer (and all year) just that much more fun! Cheers!