Showing posts with label rose wine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rose wine. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Full-Bodied Rosé From Lodi

Michael David Winery in Lodi makes plenty of wines that have eye-catchingly oddball names. Freakshow, Lust, Rapture, The Scoundrel, the list really does go on and on. Today's wine, however, is simply called Rosé.

The Phillips family has been farming Lodi dirt since the 1860s. This brilliant pink wine is made using grapes taken from the family vineyards. Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot are blended to make this wine. It is vinified and aged in stainless steel, with no oak intervention. Alcohol is at 12% abv and the retail price is $22, although my bottle was on sale at Trader Joe's for a measly six bucks. 

This wine has a bold salmon color, very rich looking. The nose offers strawberry, peach, citrus, and a touch of lanolin aromas. The palate is fruit forward, too, and carries a refreshing acidity along with it. It is great as a sipper, but pair it with salads or cheese


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Monday, January 13, 2025

Bargain Hunting For Wine At Trader Joe's - Rosé

I'm always on the lookout for wine bargains at Trader Joe's. They nearly always have a great selection of wines that are mostly dependable in quality. I spied a rosé there named La Carayon Rose. It was made in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the south of France. 

This wine is a pale salmon in the glass, so I expected a Provencal pinkie. The nose and palate are a bit more forceful than I find in rosés from Provence. Aromas of strawberries and cherries are joined by a significant whiff of citrus minerality. The flavors are fruit forward and the acidity is brisk, if not racy. The minerals last longest on the finish. I would pair it easily with a pasta salad or chicken salad sandwich.  


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Monday, November 11, 2024

A Lodi Rosé That's Thanksgiving Ready

A sample of this wine came to me with a recommendation that pouring pink is the thing to do for Thanksgiving. I have long been in favor of rosés for the holiday feast. Turkey, ham, and a variety of vegetables all pair perfectly with rosé. But wait, save a bottle for Black Friday and those day-after sandwiches.

AVIVO founder Ridgely Evers feels that his rosé "has the depth of flavor to complement the richness of the meal, along with crisp, refreshing acidity."

The 2023 AVIVO Rosé is made from 95% Sangiovese and 5% Syrah grapes harvested from Ledbetter Family Vineyards in the Lodi appellation. The plots are certified organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers, and biodynamically farmed by the AVIVO crew. Winemaker Daniel Fitzgerald produces the AVIVO wines with no additives or added sugars. He uses minimal intervention winemaking techniques to allow the terroir to shine. 

Lodi folk rave about the 2023 vintage, marked by early rain and a cool growing season which made for plenty of hang time. The grapes were whole cluster pressed and vinified in a tank. Aging took place over five months in French oak barrels. Alcohol checks in light at 12.8% abv. The retail price is $24.

This wine is a copper colored rosato style of pink, slightly effervescent in the glass. The nose is fully ripe, the sweet strawberry and bright cherry aromas tinged with tangerine and lime. The palate is loaded with those red fruit flavors, a trace of spice and a refreshing acidity. Bring on those turkey sandwiches. 


Monday, September 23, 2024

Fizzy Pinot Grigio Rosé From Italy

The Giardino Vivace Pinot Grigio Rosé was made for Trader Joe's by a producer in Veneto, Giardino Wines, in the delle Venezie DOC. Alcohol is low, at 11.5% abv, and so is the price, at just $5. This is a bargain wine I will go back to again. It is great by the pool or on the patio, where its fizzy nature provides refreshment. It is also a good pair with seafood or salad. 

This wine has a medium copper tint. It pours up frizzante in the glass. That's fun. On the nose I find tart apples and pears. The palate, however, presents very ripe red cherries, almost sweet. The wine is dry and the acidity is bracing. For a cheap little Trader Joe's rosé, this is a fairly nice wine. 


Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Italian Bubbles From The North

Here is an Italian sparkler which is actual sparkling wine, rather than Prosecco. It is from the Trentino area of Alto Adige, in the Dolomites. All the grapes used are Chardonnay. Only the free run juice is used, with no pressing involved. The wine is vinified in steel tanks, with no oak contact at all. Alcohol hits only 12.5% abv and it retails for around $20. 

This wine has a beautiful, rich salmon pink color. There are bubbles aplenty, which dissipate quickly. The nose features bright strawberry and cherry aromas, along with a nice yeasty element. The palate shows citrus in the form of lemon zest and a light touch of grapefruit. It is as dry as a bone, as the expression goes. Inhaling a bit with the sip nearly takes away the breath. It is an outstanding version of Italian bubbles done in the metodo classico. You may know that as methode champenoise


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Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Slumming It With Low-Alcohol Wines

There is, these days, if the publicists are to be believed, a move toward "mindful drinking," seeking out healthier alcohol alternatives. You can say I cling to the old ways, but I see no need to try and make alcohol healthier. You want healthy? Give up drinking. There. I said it. I quit smoking, gave up cannabis and cut way back on coffee. There is a limit to how unpleasant I want the rest of my life to be. Please leave the alcohol in my wine. 

There are those who will insist that they want to moderate their alcohol consumption. These are the people who call us "boss," ride a scooter to work, and reply to everything we say with "perrrfect." Studies show that 64% of these younger folks are on the lookout for that healthier alcohol option and 34% of all wine drinkers want ways to moderate their alcohol intake. I suppose no one has suggested "put down the glass," so let me toss that into the ring as a logical answer to the problem.

Someone saw those numbers and decided that something needed to be done about them. The thing they decided to do was to make low-alcohol wine. Arlow Wine jumped at the chance to cater to the people who simply cannot stop at one glass. Now you can have two glasses, with the same alcohol as one glass of high-octane wine. You get double the regret, though.

Arlow, I'm told, is the first truly low-alcohol wine made in the US. Arlow's wines promise "full flavor, complex profiles, and all the enjoyment of wine, with just 6.5% abv." As if that were not enough enticement, Arlow is lower in calories at just 70 per glass, lower in sulfites and has little to no sugar added. 

I was given three samples of these new wines to try. After drinking the rosé, I wanted to pour out all three and give up on the article. But I persisted in the taste test. Here are my findings.

Arlow Rosé

This wine has a vibrant salmon-orange color to it. The nose gives aromas of cherry and strawberry with a fairly intense herbal slant. An occasional whiff of Jolly Rancher comes through, too. The palate is almost completely taken over by the herbal aspect found in the nose. There is little to no acidity. It tastes like an adult Kool-Aid instead of a wine. The low alcohol allows one to drink a lot of it, but one doesn't really want to. 



Arlow Sauvignon Blanc 

This wine is tinted lightly golden. The aromas are very much what I expect from New World Sauvignon Blanc. The most dominant is a strident grassiness, which is joined by citrus and minerals. The palate gives lemon, lime, grapefruit, and minerality combined with a decent acidity. The flavor has an almost sweet note to it, which offsets the rather blunt fruit and herbal offering. The finish is not too long, but is pleasant enough while it’s there. 


Arlow Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine is peculiar. The color is medium dark purple. The nose is where the peculiar part begins. There is an extremely earthy, musty scent arising from the glass, almost foxy, as if it were a North American hybrid grape, but not quite. It is not a particularly bad smell, but it certainly bears none of the hallmarks of Cabernet Sauvignon wines I have ever had. The palate offers no apparent oak spice, and it tastes relatively fresh, so maybe this is a rare example of an oakless Cab. The tannins are almost nonexistent and there is not much acidity present. As with the Arlow Rosé, this is adult Kool-Aid, suitable to be chilled and served in plastic cups by the pool. Don't waste any food in a pairing with this wine. 

If you think I'm being too harsh in my criticism, let me say that I am normally an easy audience for wine. My scores tend to be higher than most for the same wines and I am reasonably agreeable when a bottle fails to live up to hopes and expectations. I can nearly always find something positive to say about a wine, and I think that points to how much good wine is being made these days. These low-alcohol entries are easily among the worst wines I have tasted this year, maybe this decade. For 6.5% abv, I’ll take a beer instead, thanks. 


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Wednesday, June 26, 2024

A Favorite Rosé From Year To Year

It's springtime - that means it's time for new vintages of our favorite rosé wines to enjoy. One that I look forward to each year is the Rosé of Pinot Noir from Sonoma-Cutrer. The grapes were grown in the Russian River Valley, maybe the prime spot in California for raising Pinot Noir. I found the 2023 vintage to be just as satisfying as I found the 2022 edition.

The wine was produced by Sonoma-Cutrer's Pinot Noir winemaker, Zidanelia Arcidiacono. She says, "As with prior rosé vintages, fruit was specifically grown and harvested to make this wine. Grapes were harvested in August from Sonoma-Cutrer's Vine Hill and Owsley Vineyards. Clusters were destemmed and pressed leaving the juice in direct contact with the skins for a short period of time to achieve the perfect pale pink color. Immediately afterward, grapes were gently pressed to obtain the juice."

"Each batch of rosé was fermented separately in stainless steel tanks at low temperatures." she continues, "to protect the delicate aromas and flavors. After fermentation, the rosé batches were blended together and prepared for bottling in early December." The alcohol tips only 11.9% abv and the retail price is $20.

This wine has a pale pink hue as it sits in the glass. Its nose is very pretty, full of ripe cherries and strawberries and showing hints of honeydew and tangerine. The palate plays a little more to the tart side, with a lovely savory streak to offset the fruit. The acidity is quite lively and fresh. The wine is as elegant as we might expect a rosé of Pinot Noir to be. 


Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Cool Wine, Cool Bottle

I will admit, I purchased this wine simply because of the bottle. Who can resist a bocksbeutel? However, I have learned that when used for Portuguese rosés it is called cantil. Whatever the name, it's a cool bottle. Mateus Rosé used to come packaged in it, and maybe it still does.

Roseta Rosé is from Portugal, although I have been able to find out little else about it. It gets written up all over the place, no doubt due to the fact that it's cheap and it's actually pretty good. The wine is imported by Plume Ridge in Claremont, California, is light in alcohol at just 11% abv and was selling for $5 at Trader Joe's when I bought it.

This wine has a light salmon tint to it and it pours up with a slight frizzante. The nose features ripe, red strawberries and cherries. There is a floral note in the background. On the palate, the red fruit emerges first, while a more delicate citrus flavor comes in afterward. There is a slightly carbonated sense to the mouthfeel, which is refreshing. It is not a terribly complex wine, but it is quite enjoyable and should be a mainstay through summer, particularly at the price. 


Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Mother Vine Wine - From Croatia To Lake County

The Shannon Family of Wines in California's Lake County considers their approach to winemaking to be earth-first. They say they are committed to creating environmentally responsible wines that knock your socks off. I was given a sample of the 2023 Organic Mother Vine Cinsault Rosé for review, and where the hell are my socks?

The Mother vine originated in Croatia in 1870 and was brought to Lake County by the Ogulin family. The Shannons say this vine has thrived for 150 years on their Home Ranch, alongside a small vineyard, a hand-dug well, a livestock barn, and a quaint winery, all built by the Ogulins.

Proprietor Clay Shannon says they collaborated with Guillaume Nursery to propagate buds and create additional Cinsault vines. He calls their Cinsault based Rosé "a testament to the pioneering Lake County winemakers."

This wine is only made in years when the season is right for it," adds Joy Merrilees, VP of Production and Winemaking. "We use the saigneé method of gently bleeding the juice off the crushed grape must. The short skin contact time gives flavor and texture to the fruit and acidity that is naturally in the grape. A very cool fermentation brings out floral notes with a delicate fruit back bone."

This rosé comes in a distinctively tall, angular bottle. Winemaker Carolina Vargas reveals that the wine was made using grapes from High Valley appellations. She says Cinsault grapes from a one-acre plot were abetted by some Grenache to enhance the midpalate. Grenache actually plays the lead role here, making up 62% of the wine, while the Cinsault grapes account for 38% of the juice. The pink wine was vinified in stainless steel, carries alcohol at 13.5% abv and it retails for $38.

This wine has a very light onion skin color to it. The nose is gorgeous. Huge notes of cherry and strawberry are joined by a bit of Meyer lemon and a jasmine floral component. The palate has all that fruit plus a streak of salinity that expresses the wine's minerality. The mouthfeel is full and lush, and yet the acidity is as zippy as it needs to be. Lovers of pink wine should definitely try to lay hands on a few bottles for the warmer months. Mine was delicious with my French potato salad with tarragon. 


Monday, May 13, 2024

French Rosé That's Easy On The Wallet

Here is a bargain rosé from the Perrin family. They have been making wine in the south of France for more than a century. They adorn the back label of their La Ferme Julien with a quote attributed to Leonardo da Vinci: "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Is it really so simple? Stay away from chemical fertilizers, use natural nutrients in the soil to bring the vines to maturity, adopt a laissez-faire attitude in the cellar. Not so difficult, I suppose.

La Ferme Julien is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault grapes, it carries alcohol at a mere 12.5% abv and I bought mine at Trader Joe's for about $7. I seem to remember the 2022 vintage was around $10, so I got quite a deal on the 2023.

This wine has a soft, light, onion skin pink hue. The nose is fresh and fruity. There is a bushel basket of strawberries in the aroma package, along with citrus minerality and that wonderful smell of rain on a hot sidewalk. The palate is dominated by the acidity, which is quite lively. Ripe red fruit is there, of course, as is a healthy dose of lemon and tangerine. The wine finishes long and the acidity keeps on working after the sip. 


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Monday, April 29, 2024

A Light And Breezy Rose From Portugal

Espiral Vinho Verde Rosé Blend is a non-vintage pink wine, about which I know little more. I'm sure there are Portuguese grapes in this wine, but nowhere could I find a tech sheet on it. The alcohol is nice and light, just 10% abv, and the price is right, too, $5 at Trader Joe's.

This wine has a rich and beautiful cherry red color. Its nose is playful enough, all watermelon candy and apples and strawberries, but with an herbal tilt that seems very elusive. I think the aroma reminds me of some wines made from North American grapes, but that is not the case here. This wine comes from Portugal's production area known as Vinho Verde. Yes, that translates to "green wine" but it actually means "young wine," meant to be enjoyed soon after bottling. The palate brings a strong showing of cherry, strawberry and a sort of Jolly Rancher note. The acidity is wonderful, delightfully tingly and quite refreshing. An earthy tone of red fruit persists after the sip. 


Monday, April 22, 2024

Kosher Clarksburg Rosé

Oxnard may not spring to mind immediately when you start riffing through your mental Rolodex of California wine regions. The Ventura County town is home to Herzog Wine Cellars, under the umbrella of the Royal Wine Corporation. The winery's story is one of immigrant grit and determination. 

The Lineage line of wines, the latest from the winery, helps trace back the Herzog family winemaking tradition over nine generations. From Eastern Europe, to America's East Coast, to the western US, Herzog has been producing fine kosher wines all along.

The 2022 Herzog Lineage Clarksburg Rosé is kosher for Passover and delicious anytime. The website blurb says it is made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, and at first I thought it must have been a misprint. After a few sips, though, I feel it might be Cab. It's just that we hardly ever see a rosé made from Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyards are in Clarksburg, alcohol sits at 12.5% abv and the retail price is $23, but I see it online for far less. 

This wine is a pretty pink color and has a nose of ripe cherries, strawberries and citrus, along with a beautiful herbal note that suggests thyme and tarragon. The palate has all the fruit there, with minerals and a mid-level acidity. It will serve well on the table as well as on the back porch or patio as a sipper. 


Monday, April 8, 2024

Rosé From Provence Part 2

Château La Gordonne dates back to 1652, so they must be doing something right. Their Provence rosé wines are well respected in the wine community. Nearly all the wine made in Provence is pink, so expectations are high whenever a bottle is uncorked. 

The 2023 Château La Gordonne Vérité du Terroir Tête de Cuvée Côtes de Provence Rosé was sent to me for review. With spring a reality for much of the Northern Hemisphere, it makes sense to try this wine on for size. The name, Tête de Cuvée, is French for "top blend," roughly translated. It denotes a blended wine which the maker deems to be of superior quality. Alcohol rests easy at 12.5% and the wine sells online usually for less than $20.

The wine's very Provençal color is pleasingly pink. Its nose carries a floral element along with the scent of ripe red berries and citrus. On the palate, the fruit comes first. There are also mineral notes and a nice, if not overwhelming, acidity. 


Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Rosé From Provence, Because Spring, Summer

Château La Gordonne dates back to 1652, so they must be doing something right. Their Provence rosé wines are well respected in the wine community. Nearly all the wine made in Provence is pink, so expectations are high whenever a bottle is uncorked. 

The 2023 La Chapelle Tête de Cuvée Côtes de Provence Rosé was sent to me for review. With spring a reality for much of the Northern Hemisphere, it makes sense to try this wine on for size. The name, Tête de Cuvée, is French for "top blend," roughly translated. It denotes a blended wine which the maker deems to be of superior quality. Alcohol rests easy at 12.5% and the wine sells online usually for between $25 and $30.

This Grenache-based wine has a lovely, light pink hue, very Provencal. The nose carries aromas of sweet grapefruit, lemons and ripe strawberries. The palate brings an acidity that is fresh and lively. Red fruit and citrus notes come through nicely. When I think of rosé, this is the sort of wine that is in my thoughts. This is what I want in my glass all summer. 


Monday, April 1, 2024

Bubbles From Cricket Farms

The Shannon Family of Wines has just gotten underway with their Certified Organic Luxury Sparkling wine program. Proprietor Angie Shannon says their Cricket Farms Sparkling Brut and Rosé are both estate-grown in Lake County with no herbicides or pesticides used. The wines are low in calories - less than 100 - and in alcohol - only 10.5% abv. They retail for $38. By the way, Cricket is the name of the family's beloved border collie, an integral part of the Shannon heritage. 

Cricket Farms Sparkling Brut

This wine has a pretty yellow tint and gives off the bubbles in a big way. The nose brings a blast of citrus, like lemon, lime and orange. There is also a bit of a toasty smell in there. The palate is bracing and fresh, with high acidity to carry the fruit and mineral notes. A yeasty trace is noticeable, but not dominant. It's a fun wine that is low in alcohol so it can be enjoyed more freely. 

Cricket Farms Sparkling Brut Rosé 

This wine is much the same save for a light onion skin color. The bubbles may actually be more plentiful than in the brut, if you're looking for something festive. 


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Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Pink Wine From Monterey County

The Seaglass Wine Company is based in St. Helena, California, while making wines from vineyards south of Napa, in the state's Central Coast appellation. They notably pull fruit from the Los Alamos Vineyard in Santa Barbara County, but for their Rosé they went to Monterey County for the grapes.

The 2022 Seaglass Wine Rosé was made from 53% Grenache grapes, 23% Pinot Noir, 19% Syrah and 5% Viognier. The wine was crafted entirely from free-run juice, with no pressed grapes at all. The winery claims that this move helps produce a softer wine with a lighter body. Fermentation took place cold, in steel tanks, with no malolactic fermentation. Alcohol hits 13.5% and I bought the wine for less than $10.

This wine has a pale salmon color, like onion skin. The nose carries light aromas of strawberry and citrus, but easy on the lemon. On the palate, there is a lovely sense of fruit, with minerals along for the ride. Strawberry, raspberry, lemon and a very light flavor of cardamom. Acidity is fresh and the finish is lengthy. 


Monday, October 30, 2023

French Rosé At A Bargain Price

Here is a bargain rosé from the Perrin family. They have been making wine in the south of France for more than a century. They adorn the back label of the 2022 La Ferme Julien with a quote attributed to Leonardo da Vinci: "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Is it really so simple? Stay away from chemical fertilizers, use natural nutrients in the soil to bring the vines to maturity, adopt a laissez-faire attitude in the cellar. Not so difficult, I suppose.

La Ferme Julien is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault grapes, it carries alcohol at a mere 12.5% abv and it sells for around $10.

This wine has a soft, light, onion skin pink hue. The nose is fresh and fruity. There is a bushel basket of strawberries in the aroma package, along with citrus minerality and that wonderful smell of rain on a hot sidewalk. The palate is dominated by the acidity, which is quite lively. Ripe red fruit is there, of course, as is a healthy dose of lemon and tangerine. The wine finishes long and the acidity keeps on working after the sip. 


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Monday, September 18, 2023

Why Is This Wine Mr. Pink?

This rosé wine comes from the Underground Wine Project, which began as a “collaboration between Washington winemakers Mark McNeilly of Mark Ryan Winery, Trey Busch and Jerry Solomon of Sleight of Hand Cellars. Their And Why Am I Mr. Pink? Is presented as a cult classic.

Mr. Pink is a 2021 Columbia Valley rosé wine which takes its name from Steve Buscemi's line in Reservoir Dogs. All the other criminals had a cool color name. The grapes are 58% Sangiovese and 42% Syrah.

Why is it pink? Because of skin contact in the winemaking process. A little less skin contact and it might have been Mr. White. A little more, Mr. Orange. A lot more, Mr. Purple. Alcohol resides at 12.5% abv and I paid $12 at Whole Foods Market.

This wine really shows more of a light copper color than pink. Its nose is full of ripe strawberries and an herbal note. On the palate, big time fruit again, this time featuring citrus. There is a strong mineral angle, too, and plenty of wonderful acidity. This will pair easily with the usual pink wine fare, but it will also be able to handle a pork chop or some sausage. 


Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Summertime Cooler From Rioja

Summertime - especially this one - calls for wines that like to be served with a chill. The winemakers of Rioja want you to know that they craft many wines that go very well with hot weather - whites and rosés for sure, but even a few red crianzas like to be iced down before braving a barbecue. 

El Coto Rose 2021


Hot weather always cries out for a nice, cool rosé. The 2021 El Coto Rosado is made from estate grown grapes - 90% Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha - from the Los Almendros Vineyard.

Alcohol sits at 13.5% abv and the retail price is about $12.


It is a pretty, pink wine with a color maybe a bit deeper than salmon. The nose is beautiful - full of ripe, red fruit aromas like strawberries and cherries - with a bit of lemony citrus in there for a show of minerality. The palate is incredibly fresh and juicy, with all the fruit you smell plus a zippy acidity that will serve salads and seafood extremely well.



Monday, July 24, 2023

Buying A Rosé In PA

This 2021 Famiglie Rosé was purchased at Wegman's grocery, in Pennsylvania. They do a pretty good imitation of Whole Foods Market there, right down to a generous wine selection. This marks a huge step forward for the Keystone State, from the old state stores where wine lovers used to have schedule an extra shopping stop to get a bottle of vino. 

This store, however, still had some odd rules concerning wine sales. "I can’t check out wine at this register - you have to go to 14 or 15." Maybe the checker wasn't old enough to consume alcohol, and therefore wasn't old enough to sell it, I don't know.  And I was carded. I'm 67 years old. But I get it - "laws is laws."

Anyway, the Famiglie rosé was made in Italy's Veneto region from the Corvina grape. Alcohol is nice and easy at 12% and it sold for $12.

The color is a fairly rich salmon, with a beautiful nose of cherries, strawberries, citrus and slight spice. The palate shows a mineral-driven lemon/cherry/earth pattern that paired quite well with a plate of Italian cold cuts and stuffed artichokes.