The Herzog website says the company goes back to "Philip Herzog, who made wine in Slovakia for the Austro-Hungarian court more than a century ago. Philip's wines were so appreciated by Emperor Franz-Josef, that the emperor made Philip a baron."
Philip's grandson Eugene had to move his family around quite a bit during World War II to hide from the Nazis, only to be run out of Czechoslovakia by the communists. He brought his family to New York in 1948 and started working for a kosher winery that paid him in company stock. Within ten years all the other stockholders had given up on it, leaving Eugene as the last man standing. He and his sons then formed Royal Wines as a tribute to Philip.
Expansion to Southern California happened in 1985, but it was a couple of decades before they would build their present state of the art facility. Head winemaker Joe Hurliman leads the kosher facility and produces wines in the tradition of the Jewish people.
The 2021 Baron Herzog California Rosé is made from, I believe, Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The information I could find online was sketchy at best, shelf talker at worst. Some sites list "rosé" as the varietal. Rosé is a style, not a grape. Alcohol is restrained, at only 12.0% abv and the wine sells for about $15. It is kosher for Passover, which begins on April 15, 2022.
This salmon-pink wine has a subdued nose which offers scents of cherry, raspberry and a hint of minerals. The palate is tasty and dry, with flavors of red fruit and a cranberry note that does not lean into tartness. Acidity is a little light, but there is enough there to handle easy pairings.
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