It all started innocently enough, with a warm bottle of Six Sigma and a Penske truck. Last summer my fiance (then-boyfriend) and I were moving from Napa to Manhattan and before I left my job in St. Helena, my boss gave me a parting gift of more than a few bottles of Six Sigma Rose. Hailing from Lake County and made of Tempranillo, it was darkly hued, plush with red fruits, full of zingy lemon, and best of all, we had almost a case to spare: I had met my summer match. 

On our cross-country drive we got to know our new friend pretty well, we would keep a bottle or two in the cab of the truck, where it could be cooler from the air conditioning, later when we got to our hotel it would go straight to ice. We were on a budget, and our lodging choices reflected such: the Tropicana in Las Vegas, a KOA campground at the Grand Canyon, in Oklahoma it was a filthy motel, one place in rural West Virginia with nothing but a Pizza Hut and McDonald's in sight, and a friend's Aero-bed in DC. But our Rose was there with us, and we were able to enjoy it in myriad settings and occasions. Yes, sometimes it was really warm, but for the most part we were able to get the temperature down enough to enjoy it at it's prime, even lucky enough to share it with some friends and family along the way.

Once we arrived at our apartment in hot, humid Manhattan, we had maybe five or so bottles remaining; those were left for David. For a month or so while he was job-hunting he would drink them in the evening to cool down while watching basketball, all while I was at work, learning the ropes at a new job.

Lately I've had some Roses that are equally tasty and quench the summertime thirst. Some of my favorites have been:

-Bastianich Rosato from Friuli, Italy ($14). Made with the obscure Refosco grape, it is full of plump cranberry and bing cherry. Made by Joe Bastianich, one of the owners of Babbo, I frequently have this with my dinner at the end of the night, as it pairs very nicely with some of the tomato-based dishes that we have on our menu.

-Wolffer Estate from the Hamptons, with 35% Merlot, 8% Cab Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Chardonnay ($17) that was light in color, had soft red berry notes, and gentle apple to the finish.

-Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo Rosato by Zaccagnini ($15), 100% Montepulciano.  This had a fantastic texture, creamy with just a hint of grit to keep the interest going. Strawberry, cinammon, and cherry.

-One night walking home through the East Village I realized that I wanted to stop and get a bottle of Rose to drink with dinner, so I stopped in the first liquor store I saw and purchased something from the Languedoc; it was by far the sleeper-hit. An acid bomb, it was most likely a blend of Syrah and Grenache, full of soft currant and cloves. I have no idea what it was, but it cost me $8- awesome.

-Schiava. This is a grape grown in the Alto Adige of Italy. While technically not a Rose as it is a red grape made in a regular red-wine style, it is an extremely all-around light wine, almost rose-like in color, and lightly earthy on the palate.

So while the Six Sigma is long gone, I have been able to find solace in many other delicious (and affordable) Roses.