Rosé Round-up and a Fall Salad

Rosé gets a lot of love for being the perfect summer drink. I can't argue with that, but I also appreciate it in the autumn months. I purchased my first bottle of rosé on a girl's trip to Napa, just when I started to learn that drinking pink wine wasn't something to be embarrassed by. Doug and I broke it open to enjoy on a late September evening and it tasted fantastic with the prosciutto and late summer melon. Since then, I've thought of rosé as my perfect summer-to-fall transition wine. It's cold and refreshing, but with more substance and depth than summer whites.

Rosé also pairs well with some of my favorite fall dishes, including this sweet-tart salad. I've been on a huge fruit-in-salad kick - strawberries over arugula, watermelon cubes with feta, asian pears garnished with toasted pistachios - but this salad was the original. I'd never have imagined that slices of crisp granny smith apples belonged with diced celery. The tart taste of the apples is a surprisingly good match for the dry, vegetal flavor of the celery. The honey-mustard dressing sounds like a corporate dipping sauce, but this one reminds me why those flavors belonged together in the first place - sharp, bright, tangy.

Below is a quick round-up of the rosés I've been enjoying recently. The salad recipe follows the wines.

Domaine St. Lucie 

Cotes de Provence Rose MiP (2010)

$16

This light pink wine - a blend of Cinsault, Grenache, and Syrah - was dry and refreshing. Clear strawberry notes, but also strong mineral character. It was damn good with a Guadalajara Sour.

Martin Codax Cuatro Pasos

Rosado (2010)

$16

This Cuatro Pasos is made with Mencia grapes from the Bierzo region of Spain. Mencia is similar to Cab Franc, so I expected to like it more than I did. Instead, this was a little too berry-rific for me. The fruit dominated the wine.

Domaine Wilfred Rousse

Chinon Rose (2009)

$13

Doug and I have a fondness for wines made from Chinon because they feature Cabernet Franc. This rosé is made entirely of Cab Franc; it's tart and citrusy, with an herbal scent on the nose.

Stella Rose (2008)

Napa Valley

$22

If the MiP is the most delicate of this crew, the Stella is the richest. The wine is made with Syrah grapes. It is full, food-friendly, and fantastic in the cooler months. We really loved this one.

Green Apple and Celery Salad

Bon Appetit (November 2005)

Serves 4

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 Dijon mustard
• 5 tsps honey (You can short this some, if you want a sharper dressing.)
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1 large bunch celery
• 2 large Granny Smith apples, quartered and cored, then thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Whisk the first three ingredients in a small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. Thinly slice celery stalks on a deep diagonal. Combine celery, apple slices, and toasted walnuts in a large bowl. Add vinaigrette and toss to coat. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.