Hooray for Rose! National Rose Wine Day is Saturday, June 9 (Video)

Did you know that rose wine has its own day? National Rose Wine Day is Saturday, June 9.

National Rose Day was submitted to and approved by the registrar of National Day Calendar in October of 2014 and first celebrated in June of 2015 by Bodvar House of Roses, a winery specializing in rose wines that hopes to raise awareness and give rose lovers a day to unite together and celebrate.

Rose may be the oldest type of wine known, dating back to 600 B.C. but it’s been gaining popularity recently, even becoming a mixer for use in other cocktails, rather than just being consumed as a straight wine.

“It took a while for America to get on the bandwagon, probably because of the stigma attached to sweet white zinfandel wines of the past,” said Cary Hogan, wine buyer for Avon Liquor in Avon, CO. “But it’s a very versatile wine that’s great with food or just sipping by itself.”

From barbeque to oysters, there’s a rose that pairs well with dishes due to its versatile flavor profile. It has more depth than a white but is less intense than a red.

To celebrate National Rose Wine Day on July 9, various bars are trying new ways to serve it up. This Saturday, Gessner, the new restaurant at Hotel Talisa, will be featuring their “rose-ngria”, a take on the classic sangria recipe, which includes fresh fruit, New Age rose wine, Cointreau, fee brothers rose water and orange zest. White Bison has Froze, which contains rose wine, canton ginger liqueur lemon and is reminiscent of those frozen flavored drinks you enjoyed as a kid.

The Four Seasons Vail is taking a different approach to National Rose Day with their milk-clarified negroni. “Rose Day tends to be about wine but I don’t see why it can’t also be about cocktails,” said Steven Teaver, beverage director at the Four Seasons Vail.
Teaver used a clarified negroni, which consists of one part gin, one part sweet vermouth and one part Campari to create the color. “I use a milk clarification process which turns this cocktail from an orange color into a beautiful pale rose. The color is like rose wine, so this is just a fun twist.”