One of life's great pleasures is drinking a wine that is exactly right for that particular moment. As summer slowly winds to a close, many of us are in pursuit of one last weekend picnic or open-air meal on the balcony. Chilled soups, chicken, pasta and salads are naturals, but what to drink? Although out of fashion, rose can be an excellent match, and, if well chosen, can be sublime.

In our previous column we described the two main methods for making rose, and asked readers to nominate the best roses currently on the market in Japan. Judging from the feedback we received, there is a small but passionate group of rose lovers out there.

One self-described wine neophyte saw rose as the perfect bridge between learning about white and red wine (i.e. "red wine with training wheels"). But most rose fans were iconoclastic "big red" drinkers who said that there is indeed a right time for pink -- fashion be damned!

For our final rose-tasting review we included the favorites from our previous tasting, as well as the most promising nominations from readers. The top three wines of the tasting had a broad geographic and stylistic range, but all were delicious, and all were happily consumed over the course of the remaining weekend.

Tokyo-based wine consultant Carl Robinson recommended the 2001 Tavel Rose from Balazu des Vaussieres. The appellation of Tavel, historically considered to be one of the top rose regions in France, lies just across the Rho^ne river from the village of Cha^teauneuf-du-Pa^pe. Long a staple of the papal table in Avignon, by the late 1600s rose from Tavel was even a regular tipple of the royal court at Versailles.

All was lost, however, when in the 19th century the phylloxera plague virtually destroyed the premier vineyards of the region. Indeed, it was not until 1965 that some of the best hillside sites were replanted. The rose tradition remains, and, as an appellation, Tavel is somewhat unique in that the law mandates that only rose can be produced there. This makes it a mecca for rose producers and consumers, as opposed to other regions where rose is only occasionally produced as a byproduct of red winemaking.

Domaine Balazu des Vaussieres is a small, specialist Tavel producer (fewer than 1,000 cases per year). Although the domaine itself was founded only in 1986, a long connection to the area exists -- as a youth, winemaker Christian Charmasson's grandfather planted many of the vines that now make up the estate.

Their 2001 Tavel is a blend of 60 percent Grenache and 15 percent Cinsault, with the remainder being a mix of Carignan, Syrah and local specialty Clairette. The color is a stunning nectarine orange, and the nose offers attractive hints of peach and apricot. The wine gives an initial impression of zesty citrus flavors, with some hints of pepper and a strong finish (good "grip" as they say in Portugal). Definitely not a wimpy rose, this would be a great match for the anchovies and Parmesan of a classic Caesar salad, and perfect for any hot summer day.

Ginjiro Koizumi, owner of French specialist store Les Vinophiles Ginza-ya, highly recommended the 2000 Bandol Rose from Domaine Tempier.

Bandol is a tiny appellation on the Mediterranean coast, just east of Marseille. While this is part of the broader Co^te de Provence region, fortunately quality winemaking in Bandol is the rule rather than the exception. Bandol locals claim that their strength is the sun, thyme, rosemary and general Provencal magic of the broader region, combined with the coastal microclimate of Bandol.

Perhaps less romantic but more important, the founder of Domaine Tempier, Lucien Peyraud, began a push in the 1930s to replace Bandol's dominant Carignan plantings with the better suited and higher quality Mourvedre grape. His efforts led to a law that Bandol reds must now be made from a minimum of 50 percent Mourvedre, which has helped enshrine the region's reputation for serious big red wines.

To further concentrate its reds, at the beginning of fermentation Tempier bleeds juice from its tanks, a process called saigner. This "excess" juice is vinified and bottled separately as an outstanding rose, one which wine critic Robert Parker claims is one of the few roses in the world to have a cult following.

Tempier's 2000 Bandol Rose is between salmon and pale peach in color and has a fruity nose with savory, almost beef-broth like undertones. The mouthfeel is quite rich and fat (Tempier is one of the few French rose makers to allow a full malolactic fermentation, which converts malic acide to lactic acid). The taste is a wonderful combination of cherry, meat and spice; subtle, but delicious and very long.

While the south of France is known as the home of rose, one of our favorite wines of both blind-tasting sessions was not only from Bordeaux, but from the northern-most classified growth in all of Bordeaux, Cha^teau Calon-Segur.

Calon-Segur was ranked as a third growth in the 1855 Bordeaux classification, but is best known by many for the heart-shaped tracing on the label of its classic Bordeaux. Legend has it that the Marquis de Segur, who in the 18th century owned Lafite, Latour and Calon, said that although he made his wine at Lafite, his heart would always be in Calon.

In making their Bordeaux, Calon-Segur regularly practice saigner. They market the resulting rose under the Rose de Calon label. Alas, buyers will find no trademark heart on this, as they apparently wanted the wine to stand on its own rather than piggyback on the Chateau's reputation.

The 2001 Rose de Calon certainly rises to the occasion. Its color is a somewhat shocking bright cherry red, but the nose immediately leads one into thoughts of dark fruits and hints of wood -- blindfolded, many might mistake this for a red wine. And indeed, the taste is well into red wine territory, with particularly strong notes of cherry, but overall this rose retains a zestiness which keeps it refreshing.

If you're ready to surprise yourself and your friends by thinking pink in the last days of summer, these wines are all sure to please.

Top three wines of the rose taste-off:

1) 2001 Rose de Calon (1,680 yen), National Azabu, (03) 3442-3181

2) 2000 Tempier Bandol Rose (1,800 yen), Les Vinophiles, (03) 3561-3226

3) 2001 Balazu des Vaussieres Tavel (2,000 yen), Minato-ya, (03) 3315-1331