88-Word Valentine to Winter Rosés

Illustration by Steven Stakiewicz

Nothing wrong with light, vibrant rosés enjoyed in their youthful prime. But this one goes out to all you blushing beauties with a little bottle age, whose brash, adolescent fruits have begun to fade, revealing a wealth of latent nuance (mineral, butterscotch, grenadine…) complex enough to pair with cold-climate fare. Yes, you winter rosés are hard to come by in this pink-means-summer town, but I’ll seek you out all year. Two wintry winners: 2010 Massa Vecchia Rosato ($67, the Blue Room) and 2011 Domaine Ilarria Rosé ($40, Oleana).