The hot and steamy month of August is the perfect time to try dry rose, a wine that is pretty, pink and refreshing. In the U.S., consumers have been somewhat reluctant to accept dry rose, associating it with the many mediocre and overly sweet roses that are imported from Portugal. Dry rose is also often confused with the similarly hued white zinfandel, a beverage typically made from under ripe red zinfandel grapes that is often sweetened to make up for shortcomings in flavor.

However, the makers of dry rose in France, California, Italy and Greece take their work seriously, and are producing a variety of dry, pink wines that are critically acclaimed and delicious. These dry roses have little in common with the sweet pink wines known as white zinfandel, and they fit the bill for people looking for a versatile wine to match with many types of cuisine and occasions.

Dry rose is a category of wine rather than a varietal, because it can be made with any red grape or blend of red grapes. The grapes’ juice is given limited contact with red grape skins, giving the wine its pink color. White grapes may also be used in the blend, but to a lesser degree.

According to a recent article in Drinks magazine, many fine roses are made using a French method called "saignee" that blends both red and white winemaking techniques. The word means "bleed" in French, and many winemakers do just that—bleeding off pink juice from a tank of red grape "must" or juice, in the initial stages of what would otherwise be a red wine fermentation. Fermentation is then completed in tanks or barrels as it is with white wine.

Other rose winemakers treat their red grapes like white grapes from the start of the process. Grapes may be crushed and then quickly pressed to collect the juice, or they may be "whole-cluster pressed," bypassing the crushing stage. Both of these methods yield light colored wines.

While in general, dry rose is light-bodied there is still a broad range of stylistic variation within the category.

In France, rose is usually fermented in large steel or concrete tanks, a technique that highlights fruitiness. Riper grapes, such as those grown in California, will often yield fuller, fruitier wines than those grown in cooler European climates. Therefore, some California winemakers ferment rose in small barrels to tone down the fruit and add creaminess to the texture.

Additional style variations stem from the different grape varieties used and the micro-climates in which they are grown. It is this diversity that makes the category more interesting than a simple, pink wine beverage. There is no "correct" style to pink rose, although those considered to be the best all possess a fairly crisp acidity.

Dry rose should be served chilled like white wine, and it complements all types of Mediterranean dishes, from fish soup to steak au poive.

In France, Provence is the wine region that produces the most dry rose, and some bottles to consider are Domaine Mejan-Taulier Tavel Canto Perdrix, Chateau D’Acqueria Tavel, Domaine Ott Bando Rose Cuvee Marine, and Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose.

In California, wineries such as Bonny Doon, Saintsbury, Robert Sinskey and Solorosa are known for producing fine dry roses. Additionally, Francis Ford Coppola has come out with a new dry rose of pinot noir called Sofia, and Michael Mondavi recently debuted his I’M Rose, made from cabernet sauvignon.