DRINK PINK

Hot summer days are for sipping cool, refreshing beverages. The drink of the summer, or better yet the year, has turned into (drum roll please!): Rosé! That pretty pink bottle you see anywhere and everywhere. This pink wine is having its well deserved moment in the sun and it doesn’t look like it is disappearing anytime soon. What is the sudden interest in Rosé these past few years? While some say it is thanks to the rise in millennial interest in this wine; others say it’s because of better quality production, and wine education. Then there are some that say marketing has played a big part in the rise of Rosé trends. The Restaurant Guide to the Outer Banks is here to help explain the real reason behind this sudden interest in the blush colored wine.

Some red wines ferment for weeks at a time on red grape skins. However Rosé wines are stained
red for just a few hours. Once the juice has become a slight red hue, it is then transferred to a
separate tank where it continues to ferment without their skins. Rose’s typical aromas are red fruit,
flowers, citrus, and melon.

Real Rosé has been labeled by many to be the most versatile wine of all, and should not to be
confused with White Zinfandel, which was popular a generation ago. There is a full spectrum of
Rose wines from light to dark, and sweet to dry. It’s not as heavy as a red, nor is it light as a white. It
pairs well with just about everything, because it is in the middle of the flavor profile. For example,
light dry Rosés pair best with light salads, light pastas, seafood, raw and lightly cooked shellfish,
along with grilled fish, and goats cheeses. Medium dry Rosés go well with spicy food, or can be
used as a dessert wine. Fruity Rosés are best enjoyed with lobster, seared salmon, tuna or duck,
and with rare lamb.

Portable Summer Drinking 

In this day and age we are starting to see everything in canned cocktails; from hard seltzers, ciders,
and wine. In fact, the new aluminum can alternatives have become the trendiest choice for portable
summer drinking. Not to mention how creative and stylish that wine companies are getting with their
packaging designs.

Expert Rory Maw, from the wine rating app Wotwine says, “Marketing has played a big part with smart branding, attractive packaging, and film star associations. All helping to create a perception of improved quality.”

Rosé isn’t just a drink, it has become a lifestyle. Rosé is possibly the most “Instagrammable” drink, especially during the hot summer months. There are around 3.6 million pictures on Instagram that are tagged with #Rosé. The founders of Yes Way Rosé; Erica Blumenthal and Nikki Huganir, keep their Instagram account full of fun and relatable Rosé quotes and photos. They started out with what was just a wine, but then turned it into a full fledged merchandise selling lifestyle brand.

Many celebrities have gotten into the wine business too. Some celebs/winemakers who are to blame for the Rosé rise to fame are:

Drew Barrymore, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, John Legend, Bon Jovi, Lisa Vanderpump, and Josh Ostrovsky. 

They have all created their own Rosé label.

Popular Rosé Hashtags:

#RoséAllDay
#YesWayRosé
#StopandSmelltheRosé
#SlayThenRosé
#Brosé
#RoséSeason

So whether your poolside, beach side, or even just outside this summer, be sure to have a glass (or can) of
Rosé in hand. Rosé wine is flavorful, crisp, and sweet – just like summertime!

Outer Banks Restaurants where you can sip some rosé

The Lounge @ North Banks

Mike Dianna’s Grill Room

Lifesaving Station Restaurant

Paper Canoe Restaurant

Fishbones Raw Bar & Restaurant

Sweet T’s

Rundown Cafe

Shipwrecks Taphouse & Grill

Black Pelican Oceanfront Restaurant

Goombays Grille & Raw Bar

Outer Banks Brewing Station

JKs Restaurant

Lucky 12 Tavern

Tortugas Lie

Pamlico Jack’s

Sugar Creek Restaurant

Basnight’s Lone Cedar Cafe