Pink Gin

Pink Wine

It's Always Rosé Season

Pink Wine In A Moose Can

Randall Grahm's Bonny Doon Vineyard is a serious wine company.  He's a serious winemaker who makes serious wines.  His sense of humor, though, is not that of a dour, soulless number cruncher.  I get the feeling he's had to do a lot more of that kind of work in his career than he'd like, but he doesn’t let it bring him doon.

Grahm is now making a pink, fizzy wine that comes in a can, La Bulle-Moose de Cigare.  He describes the Bulle-Moose as "pretty darn similar to our Vin Gris de Cigare, apart from the fact that it has been carbonated and put up in cans with a slightly goofy label."  It does look goofy, but the wine inside is seriously good.

The press material for this wine includes a reworked version of the "UFOs in the vineyards" tale that was embraced by Grahm years ago for his line of Cigare wines.  It's also on the can.  Grahm admits that his canned, fizzy pink wine is a bit of a stretch for him -- he’s used to much more serious "vins de terroir."  He says it's his tip of the hat to the realized fact that he's going to need some millennials hoisting his creations if the lights are to stay on at "chez doon."

Six Central Coast grape varieties made their way into these stylish cans, 57% Grenache, 18% Grenache Blanc, 9% Mourvèdre, 6% Roussanne, 5% Carignane and 5% Cinsault.  That’s quite a Rhônish roundup.  It was fermented in stainless steel, on the lees, stirred quite a bit and carbonated before bottling, er - canning.  Alcohol is light enough for a picnic or outdoor festival at 13% abv and the wine retails for $8 a can, which contains a half bottle.

The wine -- from a can -- pours up frothy, retreating quickly to a nice frizzante status.  The nose is beautiful and worthy of a picnic.  Bright, fresh strawberry and cherry aromas dominate, with a touch of sage and earth.  The flavors are ripe and sweet, with an earthy touch befitting a good rosé.  Acidity is perfect, great for food pairing as well as sipping.  The winemaker suggests you serve it very cold, and that will make it a great summertime wine. 

Grahm puts tongue in cheek to recommend La Bulle-Moose de Cigare be paired with moossaka, moozarella crostini, moosseline de poisson, tarte au pamplemoose and chocolate moose. 


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Livermore Valley: Dry Rosé From Murrieta's Well

Murrieta's Well is a Wente property in California's Livermore Valley. They take great pride in being one of the Golden State's "original wine estates." The property was founded in the late 19th century, with cuttings from the Chateau d'Yquem and Chateau Margaux in France. The place was bought in 1933 by Ernest Wente. In 1990, Philip Wente and Sergio Traverso "partnered together to revive the winery." Winemaker Robbie Meyer does a great job of turning the fruit entrusted to him into magnificent wines that tell the story of the land.

A virtual event recently featured Murrieta's Well into an online tasting session, which is documented here. My thanks to Snooth and all those involved in putting on the show for inviting me and providing samples to taste.

Murrieta's Well Estate Vineyard Dry Rose 2016

The pink wine is 55% Grenache and 45% Counoise, so Rhônophiles can get their geek on here. Both varieties were cold-fermented separately and blended after about two months in the tanks. Alcohol hits a bit higher than in most Rhônezays, at 14.1% abv. The wine retails for $30. If that seems a tad high for a pink wine, just remember that you get what you pay for. More, even, in this case.

This rosé strikes a lovely pose in the glass, all salmon pink and lightly tinted. Its nose give plenty of fresh strawberries and raspberries with some green stems thrown in and bit of earth as well. The ripe red fruit really shines on the palate and the zippy acidity is refreshing. The grapes, Grenache and Counoise, really make a very Provençal pinkie.


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Bieber Brosé

Rosé Wine - Folie En Provence

Everything’s coming up rosé at Whole Foods Market, where you’ll find plenty of pink wines to liven up your spring and summer. Folie en Provence Rosé is a Côtes de Provence wine from the south of France. The Provence region is pretty much the mothership for pink wine. It’s nearly all they make and virtually the only thing that comes up in France when a rosé is ordered.

"Folie" translates to concepts like madness, craziness, lunacy and folly. Maybe the original vintner had a little trouble at home after announcing “winemaking” as a career. Maybe he had just consumed a white Zinfandel and was temporarily driven insane by sugar. Maybe it was just one of those nutty, Provençal days.

The demand for pink wine in general, and specifically from Provence, has blown up in recent years. Everybody wants rosé, even manly men are going pink with the brosé movement. Provençal rosé, by the way, is always very dry, not sweet, and usually displays remarkable acidity.

In the Folie en Provence, the alcohol is very reasonably restrained at 13% abv and it retails for about 13 dollars.

It's a beautiful shade of pink and smells just as lovely. Cherries, strawberries and watermelons come to mind. The palate displays a fine acidity and light flavors of red fruit, with an herbal touch. A summer salad on the porch would be great with it.


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Get Doon With Rosé

Bonny Doon Vineyard's winemaker Randall Grahm says he’s "pretty happy" with his latest vintage of the pink Vin Gris de Cigare.  That’s underselling a magnificent product if I ever heard it. I eagerly await his annual offer of a taste.

As usual, the 2016 "pink analogue to Le Cigare Volant" is about half Grenache with smatterings of Grenache Blanc, Mourvèdre and Carignane. He says there's a slight twist this time around, as the Alta Loma Vineyard Grenache was allowed "a teensy bit more skin contact time."  That resulted in a nice bit of black currant in the profile. He made 21,000 cases and retails it for about $16. Alcohol is restrained at 13.5% abv.  Grahm says there are plantings in the works that he hopes will allow him to use "such grapes as Grenache Gris, Clairette and possibly Tibouren into the blend." Bring it on.

The light pink color is very Provençal, and the nose falls into line with it. Aromas of strawberry and watermelon are in the forefront, with plenty of herbal influence. On the palate, it drinks more red than pink, with cherry, currant and licorice on display. The acidity is plainly perfect, and a nutty savoriness just peeks through and lingers on the finish.


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Time To Rock Some Pink Wine, Bro!

"It all started with a whisper… but now it’s time to rock!" That is the statement printed on the label of this wine, this Côtes de Provence wine. I suppose with the hipsters all draining every bottle of Provence rosé they can get their hands on, the battle for their limited attention has to start somewhere. Why not in italicized lettering on the label?

Pink is all the rage, now that the feminine stigma has been ripped from rosé by the brosé movement. I can hardly believe I just tapped out those words. Every picture I see on Eater of a ridiculously large group of men all lifting their glasses of Provence like so many Miller Lites makes me wonder. Where were you fellas last year?

Some of us guys have been drinking pink wine all along, pinkies tucked into our hands in the masculine fashion - or not. What does it matter? Pink pants may be feminine - except on a Palm Springs golf course - but pink wine is for everyone, and it always has been. "Let's rock some pink, bro!"

This Chateau D'Esclans Rock Angel Provence Rosé is light in color, but fairly hefty - for Provence - at 14% abv. The grapes are primarily Grenache, with some Rolle - you may know it as Vermentino - blended into the mix. Part of the wine is vinified in 600-liter barrels, the other portion in stainless steel tanks.

Côtes de Provence rosé is a real treat. This one acts exactly the way a pink wine should, with strawberries, citrus and a slightly herbal touch on the nose. The palate brings the strawberries in first, and a nice little cucumber element pokes through. An herbal grassy texture is no surprise in this bone-dry wine with an easy acidity that refreshes but does not sting. The lengthy finish has the herbs hanging around quite a while.

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Summer Wine: Drink Pink With Lula Cellars Rosato

Lula Cellars is an Anderson Valley winery named for the winemaker's maternal grandmother. She must have been quite something, as her description on the website offers a glowing tribute. "This remarkable woman raised three children by herself after the death of her husband, Frank. Her enduring inner strength, faith and love for her children helped guide her and her family through the most difficult of times, and she was an inspiration to all who knew her." I'd hope for something with about two percent of that feeling to be written about me after I'm gone - that would be praise enough.

The 2014 vintage of Lula Cellars’ Rosato is its fifth release of this dry-styled, Mendocino County rosé.  An unusual blend of Pinot Noir and Tempranillo, this wine is produced as a dry rosé; the juice is in contact with the skins for only four hours before fermentation.

Winemaker Jeff Hansen has worked nearly 30 vintages so he brings plenty of experience to the table. He produced only 300 cases of this wine. I was provided with a sample for the purpose of this article.

This pinkie looks more like a red, its brilliant ruby color tinged with a bit of orange. The aromas are fresh, with red cherry - stems and all - joining a floral note. Flavors seems bent more in Tempranillo's direction than Pinot's, cherry in front, spices and fantastic acidity in hot pursuit. There is a late hint of tea that hangs on into the finish, which is lengthy. Pair it with shrimp from the grill or, for brunch with a spinach omelet.


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A Pink Wine That Looks And Drinks Red

We call rosé a pink wine, as it often is. Rosé can be a deeper shade, of course, with a complexity that runs deeper, too. When pink starts to look red, things get interesting. The wine feels fuller in the mouth and richer on the palate, yet it takes a chill just as well as its cousin of a lighter shade.

Cornerstone Cellars of Napa Valley has produced a pink wine that’s really red, the Rocks! Rosé. Cornerstone managing partner Craig Camp calls this vintage "a muscular rosé. Richly colored, flavored and dry-as-a-bone our Rosé Rocks! has the guts to take on real food." This vintage of Rocks! Rosé is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Syrah. Camp pours  it with grilled steaks, chops and sausages after giving the wine a cooling off period, to make it that much more refreshing in the dog days of summer.

The color of the Rocks! Rosé is a pretty, deep ruby red - rosado-style. Aromas of rich, ripe cherries and raspberries are laced with a stemmy green note that hits the fruit just right. Cherries mix with strawberries on the palate, with a bracing acidity holding everything together. The wine has the heft and complexity of a red, while refreshing like a white. It's extremely tasty, and it does pair well with a lot more than salads. This is the perfect wine to accompany a backyard grill.


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Summer Wine: Bonny Doon Vin Gris De Cigare

Summer is generally considered rosé time, although I have noted - many times before - that it will serve us well any time of year. I always say the best day of the year for a nice, dry, pink wine is the day after Thanksgiving. It's a perfect pairing with those leftover turkey sandwiches after hitting the Black Friday sales or watching a few of the dozen or so college football games with a salami and a cheese ball.

The Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare is a perennial favorite, always delightful and elegant, always a Randall Grahm-sized slice of Rhônicity that's pretty in pink.

The '14 Vin Gris de Cigare is made from eight different Rhône grape varieties of the Central Coast - 35% Grenache, 18% Mourvèdre, 16% Grenache Blanc, 12.5% Roussanne, 8% Carignane, 8% Cinsaut, 1.5% Marsanne - whew - and 1% Counoise. This rosé has a 13% abv number and sells for $18. The iconic label art by Chuck House recalls the red and white relatives of this pink Cigare.

This wine is a very pale pink, like the inside of a sea shell. There is a fair amount of salinity to go along with that shoreline appearance, too. A nose of strawberries and cherries has just a slight green quality to it, while the acidity-fresh palate shows red fruit in a salty, earthy setting. A perfect match for anything from the sea - it's elegant, it's complex, it's refreshing and I'm doon with it.

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Summer Wine: Côté Mas Crémant de Limoux Rosé NV Brut St. Hilaire

Continuing our series of pink wines for Spring and summer, here is another one hailing from the south of France, and it brings bubbles. That makes for a festive way to celebrate the warmer months.

Domaines Paul Mas winemaker Jean-Claude Mas is a fourth-generation vintner who took over the wine production for the winery in 2000. He has helped the domaine grow from an 86-acre estate to a 1,000-acre business in the Languedoc region in the south of France.

The Paul Mas website explains that Jean-Claude makes "wines with authenticity and refinement, the end result of which is a family of magnificently charming wines that burst with personality and express their unique terroir."

The grapes used in making the Côté Mas Crémant de Limoux Rosé NV Brut St. Hilaire are primarily Chardonnay (70%) with 20% Chenin Blanc and a 10% splash of Pinot Noir. Stainless steel fermentation is followed by a secondary fermentation in the bottle, then comes a year of aging. The wine has an alcohol content of only 12% abv and sells at retail for $19.

It looks as beautiful and elegant as a sparkling rosé should - pale salmon with fine bubbles. The nose is a basket of summer fruit. The strawberry aromas include an herbal note as if the fruit is still on the plant. A bit of apricot and a hint of orange peel decorates the main event. The tastes of summer are just as prevalent as the aromas. Cherries, strawberries and a few raspberries go arm in arm with a lovely expression of minerality and citrus. It couldn't have come along in a better season.

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Drink Pink: A (Very) Late Summer Rosé

Hopefully, by this point, we SoCal residents have survived another annual heatwave known as October - or Rocktober, if you are still getting your music from the radio.  As we ease into the season we laughingly refer to as “autumn,” I was reminded via social media that it’s time to start drinking pumpkin spice lattes and pretending that 65 degrees calls for a sweater.

One warm October evening found us stopping in at Le Petit Bistro on La Brea.  Minnesota was facing a weekend of snow, but we still had - as Randy Newman sings - “the Santa Ana winds blowin’ hot from the north.”  The heat of the day had passed, and the balmy dusk put me in mind of a rosé.  I had a decent one.

It was a réserve Saint-Esprit, a lovely pink little Côtes de Provence wine, the kind that offers nothing too extraordinary except its nose of summer strawberries, watermelons and slight herbs.  The palate is light and breezy and full of cherry and strawberry flavors.  A nice bright acidity carried the food well.  The pasta with shrimp, snow peas and capers in a light cognac sauce paired nicely.


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Drink Pink: Casey Flat Ranch Rosé

The California wines of Casey Flat Ranch were featured in a virtual tasting event recently.  The sustainably farmed vineyard and winery are located in the mountains of California’s Capay Valley, east of Napa Valley, at an elevation of 2,000 feet.  Soil conditions on the ranch range from rocky to sandy, with a sandstone base.  The climate is much like that of northern St. Helena, with a swing of 40 degrees between daytime and night - suitable for Bordeaux and Rhône varieties.  That Texas longhorn on the label represents the 200 head of longhorn cattle who graze on the ranch's grassland.

The Twitter tasting was also on a live video stream, archived here.  Casey Flat Ranch Managing Partner Alison Garrett and winemaker Laura Barrett hosted, while those who joined in sipped and commented on four CFR wines, one of them being the 2013 Rosé.

The 2013 Casey Flat Ranch Rosé of Syrah is all estate Syrah, grown in the Capay Valley hills east of a Napa Valley.  Alcohol clocks in at 14.1% abv and it retails for $18.  205 cases were produced.

Winemaker Barrett reveals, “The Casey Flat Ranch Rosé is made from Syrah grapes, which are harvested early and whole-cluster pressed to yield a pale pink, well-balanced juice with all natural acidity.”

The wine is tinted a light salmon, actually almost copper-colored.  There was no skin contact, as the juice was extracted especially for the making of this rosé.  The nose is as fresh as spring itself, with strawberry aromas laced with orange peel.  An herbal note underlies the fruit, a result of pressing the grape clusters whole, with stems and all.   This rosé's palate is fruity and delicate, with strawberry, raspberry and citrus abetted by an amazing level of acidity.  Despite the angular freshness, there is a full and almost creamy feel in the mouth.  It finishes with a raspberry tartness.

On Twitter, the Casey Flat Ranch Rosé garnered some pink love.  @WINEormous tweeted, “Gorgeous pale rose color. Bone dry.”  @WineUpdate chimed in with, “deeply stylish: Sweet cherry, cranberry, mineral, spice. Savory and giving.”  @Luscious_Lushes typed, “full of blood orange and rosehips. Juicy wild strawberry, hisbiscus zing. loving the spicy notes. Perfect for Thai.”  @cliffordbrown3 offered these tasting notes, “strawberries, spice, cherries, minerals and orange blossoms.”  @MsPullThatCork let us know that the wine is “made from 100% Syrah, no skin contact! All stainless. ‘Ballet slipper pink’ in color. Delicate berry flavors, juicy acidity. “  @BigNoseWino liked the “super strawberry spicy nose w/ nice acidity that slaps the back of your throat on the finish.”  @WineJulia chipped in with, “made in a classic style & harvested for making rose'. No skin contact w/ gorgeous color!”

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Drink Pink: Château De Campuget Rosé

Spring is official now, although it may not feel like it yet where you are.  In Southern California, the shading between seasons is not so dramatic as it is elsewhere, but we still know when it feels like a rosé.  Yes, it feels like a rosé pretty much all the time.  Look for some great rosé wines to be featured under the "Drink Pink" heading on Now And Zin Wine as we work our way towards summer.

We grabbed a friend recently to introduce her to Della Terra, a great Italian restaurant on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles.  My meal was heightened the 2012 Château de Campuget rosé.

Château de Campuget has been around for nearly 400 years in the southern Rhône Valley, specifically the Costières-de-Nimes region.  The Campuget property has plenty of the round stones for which the Rhône is known, the stones worn smooth by their glacial trip southward.  The estate also gets their share of the Mistral winds which strafe the French countryside and make it necessary to train the vines low to the ground..

The 2012 vintage was dry and sunny in the southern Rhône, with drought conditions actually affecting some areas.  Those vines had to send their roots deep through the rocks to seek out water in the clay soil far below.  Such work tempers fruit and bestows upon the grapes a higher level of intensity.

This salmon-colored wine is made up of 70% Syrah grapes and 30% Grenache, and it is a fairly serious rosé.  The fun is not lost here, but the wine definitely shows up ready to get down to business.  It costs $12 by the glass at Della Terra.  Online, I saw it offered for as low as eight bucks per bottle.

The nose of the 2012 Château de Campuget rosé is garden-fresh.  Strawberry, watermelon and cherry aromas are dusted with a light touch of anise and just a trace of funk.  The mouthfeel is notable for the mouthwatering acidity this wine brings to the table.  Bright cherry and strawberry flavors are also quite fresh, and the minerality is outstanding.  A great finish of melon and minerals lingers on the tongue.

Pairing Château de Campuget with seafood worked extremely well.  It was a hit with Della Terra's crab cakes, octopus salad and shrimp risotto.


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