published April 19, 2012

Wined Down: Rosé Will Get You Laid

by JOE ROBERTS

If you’re looking to maximize the chances of a “check, please!” moment during your next dinner with that special someone, then you may need to ditch the Big Red wine. That’s right, friend—buck up and order some rosé with that high-priced date night meal.

Now, I’ve been up and down the entire world of wine, and the best way I know to summarize this bit of vinous truth is with a quote from a bona fide rock-star-turned-winemaker I once interviewed: he referred to rosé as “The Leg Spreader.”

Rosé gets a bad rap, despite its gorgeously suggestive color, due in most part to the near oceanic levels of overly-sweet, barely-drinkable pink-plonk currently on the market. As one award-winning wine educator friend of mine likes to say, “rosé is guilty by pigmentation!” The result is that the less adroit wine guzzler is afraid that sipping a rosé suggests more “cheap-ass wine newbie” than “sophisticated, sexy lover of all things epicurean.”

Now, if for some strange reason that undeserved pink-plonk perception has persuaded you to question the sexual conquest advice from a bona fide rock star (hey, what do they know about getting girls, right?), the host of recent scientific studies cited below ought to help convince the logical hemisphere of your brain to resist ordering her a glass of that ginormous Cabernet and go with the pink drink:

• Last year, The Times Live in New Zealand reported on a global poll of over ten thousand women across five countries (including the U.S. of A.) in which almost 70 per cent of the ladies called wine “essential” to creating a romantic setting during a date. Over fifteen percent of the women said that rosé is the only wine that they drink. The article also reported that since 2009, rosé consumption has risen 160 percent—so those girls are definitely putting their money where their cute, pouty mouths are. Red wine? Down 15 per cent (doh!). 

• While you shouldn’t have much trouble finding a dry rosé to compliment a meal, don’t write-off the sweeter pink stuff entirely. According to a 2011 study carried out jointly by a Cornell professor and Master of Wine Tim Hanni and reported by SFGate.com, people with tastes that swing towards sweet and/or delicate wines may have more sensitive palates, and can also be more sensitive to touch - so much so that they don’t bother wearing panties at all. Okay, it’s not a direct link to rosé, but hypersensitive types will likely eschew the Cabernet (and the “no panties” part certainly gives you a head start on the evening).

• More recently, ZeeNews.com in India noted a study from Florence, Italy (where they certainly have their priorities straight), which found that moderate wine consumption enhances just about every aspect of both a man’s and woman’s sexual experience, including duration (if there were a Nobel award for underscoring the obvious from centuries of “field research,” this study has got to be the clear front runner). And we’ve known for several years (thanks to research co-sponsored by the Australian Wine Council and Match.com) that having knowledge of wine actually makes you appear measurably more attractive to members of the opposite sex. My guess is that being able to bust out a killer rosé is going to make you look like you’ve got wine smarties to spare.

Besides the good old fashioned bonus points you can accumulate by deferring to what she wants to drink for at least one night, the above data puts a lot more potential pay-off value behind knowing a go-to pink wine than it does for going with the tired old “if I ain’t having big Cabernet then ain’t nobody drinking any vino tonight” approach.

 My advice: get over your fear of pink and get familiar with a rosé like Paul Jaboulet’s “Parallele 45″ Rose (Cotes du Rhone, France, about $14); it’s widely available, has a name that’s easy to remember, and sports a killer combo of sexy, crushed red berry fruit and enticing floral notes. It’s got enough tanginess to match with just about any food either of you will order up, and has probably helped savvier wine drinkers access more trim than the entire lawn and garden section of The Home Depot.

So there you have it—rock stars, scientists, a Master of Wine, and hundreds of years of amorous Italians agree on the sexual kung-fu mastery of a decent rosé with dinner. Just makes sure to use that newfound vinous power for the forces of good…

Jaboulet Hermitage "La Chapelle" 1989 that I kept for my daughter. I first tasted this wine out of barrel with Gerard Jaboulet, who bottled a few Jeroboams of it for her to be tasted when she turned 21. He was one of the great personalities in the Rhone whose palate, acumen, and generosity kept his family name at the top ranks of winemaking. It was one of his negociant wines from my uncle's cellar, a Jaboulet Chateauneuf du Pape "Les Cedres" 1967, that first impressed me with how a great wine can taste.

When I first met Gerard in Tain L'Hermitage in 1987, I told him about this and he decided to play a trick on his father, Louis, who was at his desk that day at 75 years of age. Gerard located a bottle of the same 1967 Chateauneuf in their library and from the cellar he had someone carry a glass of this wine up to his father's office for him to comment on, at the same time calling him from the cellar phone. In around three amazing seconds of lively and animated analysis, which I could clearly hear booming out of the receiver in Gerard's hand, held gingerly away from his ear, Louis correctly identified the "Les Cedres," vintage and all, and commented that we must not think him very clever if we thought that he couldn't identify one of his favorite wines.

Gerard passed away unexpectedly in 1997, outlived, sadly, by his father, and his passing ultimately meant the decline and sale of the family business in 2005. But as we drink his Hermitage "La Chapelle" 1989, one of the last great wines from this historic family, I will tell my daughter his story.

 

2007 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Côtes du Rhône “Parallele 45″

Nov 10, 2010

AOC Côtes du Rhône
Grenache-Syrah

As the temperature starts to drop and it becomes clear that fall is heading into winter, my palate begins to change too, and I find myself craving things like hearty soups, stews and casseroles. When it comes to pairing wines with these types of meals, one appellation that I find very reliable is that of Côtes du Rhône. The wines from this region of France, typically made from a blend of Grenache and Syrah, are not only very palate-friendly, but budget-friendly as well.

Paul Jaboulet Aîné’s "Parallele 45", this week’s Wine of the Week, is one of those always reliable, delicious values from the Rhône. With notes of cherries, black pepper and black fruits, the Parallele 45 would be a good match for a warming bowl of chili – regardless of whether you decide to make it with beef or just vegetables.

And in case you were wondering about where the name of the winery comes from, here’s a little historical tidbit for you. Jaboulet was founded sometime in the early 19th century and was run for some time by Antoine Jaboulet. Antoine had twin sons, Paul and Henri. It was Paul who eventually took over for Antoine and went on to lead the family wine business with much success. As a result of his efforts, the company was renamed Paul Jaboulet Aîné, with the word aîné meaning "the elder".

For more information on this wine, please check out its page in our Buying Guide.

Medium intense black cherry with a ruby rim.

Fairly intense with notes of candied cherries, herbs, spice and pepper.

Dry, medium bodied with medium plus acidity and alcohol. Tannins are ripe but a bit drying,
notes of juicy cherries, pepper and black fruits.

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If you have a chance to taste this wine, with friends or over dinner, I'd love to hear from you. Please send me your thoughts.

Featuring Jaboulet P45 Rosé • Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc Les Setilles • El Coto Rioja Reserva.

Big Thanks to Matt and Kirk for this one!