Château d'Oupia Minervois Rosé, 2009

After a cold and aggravating winter, we have made it to my favorite time of year - the transition from spring to summer. Sure, the weather doesn't know it yet, and nobody seems to want true heat yet, but the air has the right flavor. The flavor, my friends, of smoky barbecue. Time for all that moos or bleats to stampede in retreat - the pits are fired, the charcoal piled hillock-high. And what do the textbooks say to pair with grilled steaks? Zinfandel, of course, or a nice Bordeaux, or a Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon, or maybe even a Brunello di Montalcino. But if you aren't grilling steaks, if your focus is instead on the humble rib, on sauces full of cilantro and tomato paste, Worcestershire and garlic, what wine holds up? None of the above, not consistently.

But rosé does. And a rosé is the focus of today's post. The 2009 Château d'Oupia Minervois Rosé, from the Minervois AOC in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, was a great find, perfect on its own but definitely possessed of the weight needed to stand up to goods from the grill. It is blended from my favorite Rhone grapes: Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, and shows deep salmon pink in the glass; excellent clarity. On the nose I found an overwhelming abundance of fresh, ripe strawberries, with a buzzing zip to back them up. Good weight, and the wine is bone dry. More bright berry fruits in the mouth, quenched by delicious acidity in a lingering finish hinting at cherries and orange zest. You can find this wine for under $15 a bottle. Try it with grilled tuna, hummus platters, salmon slathered in aioli, or babyback ribs.

"Tai Rosso" Rezzadore, 2007

Spring. No other time of year is as confusing as spring. First the air warms up, flowers bud, birds get territorial, jeans become shorts, jackets are flung into closets... and then it all gets rewound by the somehow-always-freezing Sundays of April and May. This past weekend was like that, beautiful Friday, cold Sunday. Everybody became confused and hostile, in need of something reliably comforting, something to pair with grilled Italian sausages or drink on its own.

Enter the 2007 "Tai Rosso," an Italian Grenache from the Veneto region, produced by Rezzadore and imported by a small company out of New Jersey (great guys, met them at a local tasting last spring, when it was too cold to be outside... interesting). A wine with gusto. A wine with spark. A wine with a nice red ruby color in the glass, hinting at tangerine, and then a veritable A-Team of aromas: tart cherries, cranberries, fresh-picked strawberries, hints of orange peel, loam... each time I open a bottle, I get a different set. These wonderfully rich aromas are followed by a bright mouthfeel, with acidity doing its two-step on the tongue while the fruit lingers with some soft tannins at the medium finish. $12. That is right, friends. $12. Buy a case.

Sablet "Les Deux Anges" Côtes du Rhône Villages, 2007

Not much to say about this wine, but not because it lacks in anything. The 2007 Sablet "Les Deux Anges" Côtes du Rhône Villages is an excellent example of this appellation and vintage, especially considering what a terrific year it was in the Rhône, with consistent high quality across the board. Wines from this vintage tend towards chewy tannic structure, highly aromatic liveliness in the glass, and great robustness. This wine proved no exception.

A disclaimer: I love Syrah. I might love Syrah even more than Cabernet Sauvignon. It's the most heady wine I've ever had the pleasure of drinking, with such intensity, such profound wildness, that I can't helped but love it. This wine is predominantly Grenache, and as such presents a wonderful ruby color in the glass, with a nose of generous dark fruits, mostly briar-patch blackberries and plums, lightly tinged with spice. In the mouth, more black fruits are balanced to great silky tannins - courtesy of Syrah - with hints of pepper and integrated oak. Good complexity, tasty finish. Great with herbed roast lamb, beef stew, or pepper-crusted pork loin. $15.

Domaine de la Cote de l'Ange, 2005

The 2001 Domaine de la Cote de l'Ange is a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, an appellation located in the southern Rhône Valley. Like all wines of this sort, it is a blend of many varieties, in this case Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Syrah. In all, thirteen grape varieties are permitted for use in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This particular specimen had intense red fruits with smoky notes and mineral on the nose. The palate featured earthy black fruit balanced with nice tannins and a long finish hinting at coffee. An awesome wine, overall. $24. Drink it with lamb, prepared however you like; I'd prefer a roast.

Montsant Falset, 2005

A Spanish triumph equal to any Rioja Riserva, the 2005 Montsant Falset is just great. Full-bodied, with lingering red fruits and firm tannin. A blend of Tempranillo, Grenache, Carignan, and Syrah, the Falset is just loaded with with lots of berries, leather, and cherries, with stony minerals and spice on the nose and palate. Some nice acidity balances the fruit. I think decanting it would soften it nicely, since it's a little tight. This Spanish wine speaks to me as a Cabernet drinker, and overall is just worth buying. $10. Pairs well with herb-encrusted lamb, tapas, or more robust venison dishes.