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Rosé Wine Tasting in Los Olivos: 6 Stellar Rosés

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Larner rose wine
Spring has sprung, and that can only mean one thing in wine country: it’s rosé season. This is the time of year when wineries release their new rosé, to be enjoyed now and all through the summer (and if you can hold onto a bottle all the way until Thanksgiving, it’s superb with the food).

This time of year, rosé is fresh off the bottling line. It can be light and zingy with a hint of color and fruit, or it can have more body and complexity with nice acidity to keep it fresh. Gone are the days of heavy, sweet rosés…most wineries today are making a Provence-style rosé: dry, fresh, a little (or a lot) fruity with tons of acidity to keep your mouth refreshed. Just what we need on warm Spring days and Summer evenings.

In Los Olivos, look for these 6 ravishing rosés:

  1. Crawford Family Wines has a beautiful rosé of Grenache from a vineyard called Mesa Verde right in the middle of the Santa Ynez Valley, for those who like it light and lively.
  2. Larner Vineyard & Winery makes Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre rosé this Easter weekend as well. This Rhone blend of grapes is really the classic choice for rosés from Provence.
  3. Kaena Wines makes a more complex rosé of Grenache, a pretty wine that can easily stand up to summer barbecues.
  4. Tercero Wines releases a rosé of Mourvedre (the folks in the tasting room are known to open a bottle early for someone who asks!) and we can’t wait to taste it, knowing his skill with the grape.
  5. Andrew Murray Vineyards makes a nice rosé of Cinsault, which is its Esperance rosé, following in Andrew’s style of ripe fruit and bracing acidity.
  6. Blair Fox Cellars does a double whammy, making a rosé of Grenache, and also sparkling rosé of Grenache! They are also family-owned and organically-farmed. (In case you’re wondering, other wineries that also do a double whammy of rosé and sparkling rosé are Alma Rosa, Summerland, Riverbench and Palmina.)

Have fun with these wines and don’t forget to Drink Pink!

 

Bloody Rosé Sangria – Buttonwood Syrah Rosé

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If you live near the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara’s wine country, then you’ve heard of Buttonwood Farm & Winery‘s peaches. As you drive up Alamo Pintado between the charming towns of Los Olivos and Solvang (where we’re known for both wine tasting and Danish kitsch) you can’t miss the sign on the side of the road as it calls your name: “Peaches!”

The peaches at this working farm are big, beautiful and flavorful. And they go fast…make sure to get your peaches before checking out the tasting room, or you might be out of luck for the day! You also might want to pick up a freshly baked peach pie as well, then head into the winery’s tasting room, peaches-in-hand.

Some of my favorite Buttonwood wines are the very Zingy Sauvignon Blanc, done in a style with freshness and bite, and the Cabernet Franc, a spicy and earthy varietal that’s not always easy to find. And summer is the perfect time for the Semi-Semi (Semi-dry Semillon), a slightly sweet light white wine (great for a White Peach Blueberry Sangria), and the Rosé of Syrah, powerhouse of summer.

In fact, the peaches and Rosé inspired me to come up with a garden-fresh summer Sangria concoction to help beat the heat this August. If your August is as dry and dusty as mine, this will quench your thirst, slip you some nutrients and make you happy to do your farming.

Buttonwood Syrah Rose SangriaBloody Rosé Sangria Recipe

  • Fresh juice of 1 large tomato
  • Fresh juice of 1 large peach (or 2 small ones)
  • Fresh juice of 1 tangerine or half a large orange
  • Sugar, to taste
  • Sage or basil for garnish
  • Buttonwood Syrah Rosé

Note: you can skip the tangerine/orange and sugar, and replace with San Pellegrino Blood Orange sparkling soda for some bubbles!

  1. Muddle the tomato, peach and tangerine pulp together with all the juices and sugar.
  2. Divide this mixture into 2 glasses.
  3. Top with Buttonwood Syrah Rosé and garnish with herbs. You can add sparkling water or soda as well.
  4. Drink and be refreshed! And go forth and farm…

If you like sweeter sangria, check out my White Peach Blueberry Sangria!
Buttonwood Farm & Winery peaches

Summer Wines: Rosé from Provence, Rioja & Santa Ynez

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My favorite summer wine is rosé. Its lovely pink hue and delicate flavor win me over at almost every meal, as it flirts with me from the bottle; I just can’t’ say no to it. It’s as refreshing as a crisp white on a hot day, but slightly big enough with a few tannins and flavors from the red grape skins to complement grilled meats, heavy meats, grilled vegetables and summer desserts. Rosé will pair up with almost anything, making it the summer wench of wine.

Triennes Rose wine from Provence, France

My favorite rosés are those that are light in color and alcohol, but medium to high in acidity. Rosés from Provence are the originals, and could easily be called the best. Triennes rosé is a favorite of mine, made from Cinsault blended with Grenache, Syrah and Merlot. It’s light yet flavorful and is the perfect accompaniment to a summer dinner.

Bodegas Muga Rose wine from Rioja, Spain

Another rosé I love is from Bodegas Muga in Rioja. This one is a darker pink color; a rosy-cheeked minx, with a heavier flavor that can stand up to meats and cheese, but still having that bright kick of acidity.

 Verdad rose wine from Santa Ynez Valley, California

And finally, a California rosé I love is from Verdad Wines in the Sana Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara county. Louisa Lindquist makes this European style rose from the Garnacha grape of Spain, with an alcohol level of 11%. It rivals these French rosés in all the things I love about rosé wines, with the bonus that I can buy locally! My local harlot…

Try finding one of these rosés, and pair it with your favorite summer meals. You’ll see that even though she gets around; she really is the best companion on a summer evening.