In Spain, they call it rosado. In Italy, they call it rosato. In France, they call it rose. And hereabouts? Lets just call it good.

For years we have been pleading with consumers to set aside all of their prejudices about this pink wine and enjoy one of the best summer quaffers in the market.

There are few wines as versatile as rose and that is something until just now that has eluded wine enthusiasts. Unfortunately, many people confuse it with the scourge of the industry — white zinfandel — and assume it is sweet. Even though many California roses have a dose of residual sugar to appeal to the Coca-Cola palate in us, these wines are a far cry from the syrupy blush wines made famous by Sutter Home.

Roses can be made from almost any red grape variety, but in our humble opinion are made best from grenache, syrah and cinsault — the classic style of southern France where rose is as ubiquitous as a French vacationer in August.

There are two ways to get the color in the wine, but the most popular is the saignee method. In short, juice is bled off fermenting tanks after a short exposure to red grape skins. The siphoned pink wine becomes rose and whats left is more concentrated red wine. The color ranges from salmon to bright raspberry.

The other method of producing rose, used more often to make rose champagne, involves blending red and white wines.

Fermentation takes place is stainless steel tanks to keep the wine fresh and clean. Exposing the wine to oak would just defeat the role rose plays as a simple wine with crisp, mouth-cleansing acidity.

There is no better wine to bring on a picnic or the boat. As a food wine, it has the acidity to go with grilled foods, cheese, vegetable dips, Asian fare, fish, salmon, pork — almost anything but beef and lamb.

Chateau Grande Cassagne Rose 2006. Bright raspberry and strawberry flavors abound in this overly fruity rose from southern France. It has been a standard summer wine for us for several years now. Blend of grenache, syrah and mourvedre.

Domaine Gourier 2006. Using grenache, syrah and cinsault grapes, this wine from southern France has cherry and strawberry flavors with a touch of spice and everything nice.

Mas de Guiot 2006. From the Costieres de Nimes region, this blend of syrah and grenache has good cherry and raspberry flavors.

Toad Hollow Eye of the Toad Rose 2006. Made from pinot noir grapes, this perennial favorite of ours sprots an elegant style with strawberry, spice flavors and a pretty, floral nose.

Zaca Mesa Z Gris 2006. Grenache and cinsault make up this wonderful Santa Barbara wine that we just loved. Lots of bright berry flavors, good acidity and a long, intense finish.