The golden rule (maybe slightly pink) for drinking rosé. Have fun with it. Never rattle on about depth or complexity. And it’s OK to choose a color that goes with your bathing suit.

Rosé, the Rules. Don’t worry, it’s not exactly the Ten Commandments
Here are my very strict rules for choosing and drinking rosé wine:

1. Color is part of the experience of drinking a rosé, so by all means choose a color that pleases—one that will be attractive on a table on your porch or poolside, or go well with your bathing suit.

2. Delete from your memory everything you learned about rosé back in the twentieth century. Not many years ago rosé was, as they say on the street, disrespected. It occupied an amorphous middle ground between red and white, and for years the market was dominated by cheap, poor quality imports. And then there were those rumors about restaurants mixing red and white wine to emulate rosé. Happily, that is all history, and consumer perception of rosé wine has gone through a revolutionary change.

3. Don’t be overly discerning. The quality of rosé wines is now excellent for the most part, and American consumers have wisely and enthusiastically made them a part of summer living. Not only are they to be seen everywhere in the Hamptons, but our choices include a number of locally made rosés.

4. Have some fun with it. Anyone who rattles on about depth or complexity in a rosé ought to have his glass impounded until he lightens up. There is not much beyond the obvious that you should look for, and only the worst sort of wine snob will carry on about a rosé. Seriousness is just not there and was never intended to be there. Rosé is a wine that should be joyous and buoyant and exhilarating.

5. Have a few bottles cooling at all times, without exception, from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Keep the bottles chilled but not to cryogenic levels. I like it cold enough to be refreshing to the palate, but never so cold that it masks or distorts the delicious fruit flavors.

6. This is the only time to get caught up in the youth culture. Drink your rosé while it is young. The sassy, sprightly qualities fade after a year or two, and not even a shot of botox will revive its youth. Rosé should always have a fresh fruit and floral profile in its aroma and taste.

There are only a few basics you have to know. Rosé wines are generally made from red grapes. The big exception is sparking rosé, where blending is traditional. Depending on the goal of the winemaker, and on the coloring capacity of the grape skins, a maceration process, where the pressed grapes stay in contact with the grape juice, takes anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

Fermentation is almost always in stainless steel rather than wood, and begins only after the maceration is complete. From there the vinification is the same as for a white wine.

The wine will be ready to drink in the spring following the fall harvest. Perhaps because of the speed of the process, rosé wines are usually reasonably priced.

The long days of June have given me evenings to sample local rosés. I was particularly impressed with the 2006 Domaines CC ($16) from Corey Creek. A blend of three red grapes, it is bright, crisp and fragrant, perfect for casual drinking. Channing Daughters is again offering its Tre Rosati—three different rosés from different grapes. The cabernet franc is sold out at the winery but still on the shelves of some stores. The cabernet sauvignon and merlot ($17 each) are available—and they are delicious.

At my table I avoid May December marriages between wine and food so I pair rosés that are young, fresh, bright and have clear tastes with the local produce coming in from the nearby fields—crisp radishes and early lettuces, asparagus, young spinach, baby carrots, and of course our delicious strawberries

Can I really detect a whiff of an ocean breeze in the glass? I like to think so.