My first (oops)™ wine is a 2006 Carmenère Rosé. This was a local find, and it's convinced me to seek out the rest of their lineup. (oops) 2006 Carmenère Rosé is 100 % Carmenère from Chile's Valle Centrale. This is the second year, 2005 being the first, that (oops)™ released a Carmenère Rosé. In 2005 the wine was labeled a "white Carmenère." The 2006 grapes, according to the wine maker's notes, were harvested in Santa Lucila, from a vineyard located on sandy-soil beside the Lontue River in the Andean foothills of Chile's Curicó. The grapes for 2006 were harvested in March of 2006, and were selected in part for their aroma. The wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks, and without oak in the form of either barrels or chips. The Roseé or blush status of the wine is a result of the winemaker separating the juice from the skins before the grape skins lent too much color to the juice.

In the bottle, in part because of the cream color of the label, the Carmenère Rosé looks almost brandy colored, but once poured it reveals itself as a lovely golden rose, very evocative of an autumn sunset. This 2006 (oops)™ "cheeky pink" Carmenère Rosé is slightly tart in aroma, reminiscent of peaches or barely ripe strawberries. It's just slightly citrusy in taste, with a strong impression of peach and and another hint of strawberries. This wine was, frankly, absolutely delightful; I can see serving this wine as an apèratif, or a dessert wine, though it's not as sweet, by any means, as a dessert wine, (in fact, it's slightly dry, with an ABV of 13%) this 2006 (oops)™ Carmenère rosé would go beautifully with a fruit-based dessert, like a fruit tart. That said, yes, this Carmenère Rosé would do very nicely with slightly spicy Thai or Chinese food. I found the 2006 Carmenère roseé on a the shelf of the local Bargain Grocery store for $2.99; it lists for anywhere from $10.00 to $12.00. I'll be going back for more, and looking for the other (oops)™ wines to try; I confess to being more than a little curious to see how the Carmenère behaves in its more robust, un-blush version, and as a blending wine. (oops)™ wine is locally available at a couple of the larger grocery store chains, and, from time to time, at Trader Joe's. It very much does seem to be one of those purchases that if you see it, and are thinking of buying it, you'd best do it; when I've gone back to look for (oops)™ wines in the past, they've sold out. I plan on trying as many of the (oops)™ wines as I can.