Nice days for a rosé

It's tough to think of many activities that 100-degree heat and 80 percent humidity actually render more appealing.

Well, ok. Swimming. That's an easy one.

A close second (and potential accompaniment) is drinking rosé wines. They are so incredibly joyous and refreshing on a balmy day!

Last August, I wrote an ode to these ultra-refreshing, pink wines (most of which have little or no resemblance to the ubiquitous pink wines most Americans are familiar with, i.e., White Zinfandel and White Merlot). Check it out on The City Paper Web site; it's definitely one of my favorite things I've written (not to clink my own glass, so to speak).

Now that we're right in the heart of rosé season once again, I feel the need to spread the pink gospel. But this time around I'll be a bit less poetic and just stick to the facts about these not-quite-white, not-quite-red wines.

Here are some of the most common questions I get about rosés, with answers that will hopefully clear up some of the misunderstandings and have you running for your local wine retailers' rosé section.

Why are rosés pink?
Rosés can be made in a couple different ways. The most common method is pretty simple: Red grapes are picked, crushed and begin to ferment as they normally would. However, rather than leaving the skins in the mix the entire time, they are taken out quickly so that they impart only a touch of color to the juice. This method also gives the wine some structure from the skins' tannins. The next most common way is to blend a small percentage of red wine with either white wine or with juice from red grapes that saw no skin contact during fermentation. This typically gives a softer wine.

Isn't it cool to think about rosés as simply red wines for summertime? After all, the character of the grape is there — it's just wearing lighter clothes.

Are all pink wines sweet?
This question gets a big, loud "NO!" Like any other type of wine, rosés come in a wide array of styles. The winemaker has complete control over how sweet the finished wine will be.

That said, given the huge popularity of sweeter "blush" wines in the U.S. market, it's easy to see why people have this perception of pink wine as sweet. However, in Europe, the majority of rosés are made in a bone-dry style, many showing razor sharp minerality and tingly acidity. With rosé gaining a long-earned respect here in the United States, it's more than likely that the pink wines you see in your local store are going for a drier style.

Younger rosés are the only way to go. Rosés older than 2007 should be viewed as potentially suspect! Here are some new rosés that are in heavy rotation in the Wilder on Wine fridge:

Yellow + Blue Rosé of Syrah and Monastrell; Alicante, Spain ($12 for 1L box; Best Brands Distributing)
The Yellow+Blue brand has really found a great niche, and makes the perfect juice to fill it with. They are organic wines that are cheap yet tasty, and come packaged in a 1 Liter tetra-pak for easy transport and a lower carbon footprint. They source their rosé from Alicante, which is on Spain's Mediterranean coast. It perfectly captures the spirit of some of my favorite rosés from southern France — a light body, subtle berry and citrus flavors, and cleansing minerality on the finish.

Von Schleinitz Rosé of Pinot Noir; Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany ($15; Horizon Wine Distributing)
What a color on this rosé! It’s more like a “cuivre,” or copper… or maybe a dusty dessert sunset? If you can turn your fascination away from how the wine looks, you’ll also find plenty to ponder in the nose and on the palate. The epitome of the best sense of “subtle,” this wine is an elegant whisper of the silky berry fruit that has made pinot noir one of the world’s most popular grapes.

Bastianich Rosato of Refosco; Friuli, Italy ($15; Best Brands Distributing)
This rosé smells incredibly fresh and summery — like tomato leaves tinged with bright red berries. On the palate, it achieves a perfect balance of fruit, mineral, body and tanginess. While it's on the richer side for a rosé, it's still imminently refreshing. Refosco is a little-known red grape from northern Italy that many are touting as the future star of the region.

Delheim Rosé of Pinotage; Stellenbosch, South Africa ($15; Omni Distributing)
This rosé starts out super green and a bit vegetal but blossoms into a more peach, nectarine, white cranberry and citrus-dominated profile as it opens up. The lively acidity works well atop a surprisingly creamy texture. Pinotage is a grape almost exclusive to South Africa. It was engineered there and is a hybrid of Pinot Noir and the Rhone grape Cinsault.

Domaine de Fontsainte Gris de Gris; Corbieres, France ($18; Best Brands Distributing)
Southern France is arguably rosé’s spiritual home, and this one, from the Corbieres region, is consistently one of my favorites. It is very dry and very delicate. There is fruit (strawberries, raspberries and watermelon), but those flavors seem like footnotes to the wine's pure, refreshing minerality. The fruit flavors do seem to intensify on the finish, showing richer notes of strawberry in particular. As it comes to room temperature, the body becomes rounder and richer, so you may not want to drink this one too cold. "Gris de Gris" is a common alternate name for "rosé" in France.