Most of the rosados are from Navarra where Garnacha is the major grape and La Rioja where the combinations of Garnacha-Tempranillo or Garnacha-Viura predominate.

The best Spanish rosados are made only by the sangrado method. This literally means that a must has been "bled" from the grapes, producing a free-run juice. The grapes are first destemmed, lightly crushed, then left for a few hours or up to a day in contact with the skins. The latter is known as maceration time and it’s during this period that the skins make their contribution to the final wine’s color, flavors and tannin. Post-maceration, the must is "bled" off into a stainless steel tank and the clear juice obtained undergoes fermentation without the skins. The end result of this process is a wine that combines the flavor and body of a light red with the crisp acidity of a palate-refreshing white.

The 2002 Ochoa rosado is from Navarra and is 100% Garnacha. The color is a king salmon red. Scent-wise, there’s strawberry, rhubarb and background minerals. The structure is typical rosado with soft tannins, juicy acidity, medium body and smooth mouthfeel. The wine slides effortlessly into a long finish dominated by strawberry and then closes up shop with a dry mineral flourish.

—Dr. Marty