Pink Perfection - Crossbarn Rosé of Pinot Noir 2013, Sonoma Coast, California

The Crossbarn Pinot Noir Rosé is made by the good people at Paul Hobbs in Sonoma, California. Full disclosure... I work for Paul Hobbs Imports!  However, I can be fairly objective when I say that this rosé is quite delicious and one of my favorite pink drinks! And no, I don't get any commission for any bottles sold.  That being said, I advise you to visit the winery online if you are interested in trying this - it's rare to see in a wine store & they sold out at the winery before the end of last summer.  Just sayin'.  http://store.crossbarnwinery.com/shop.ams?

This rosé is made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes sourced from the Sonoma Coast.  This is a cooler climate area (think rolling fog and chilly ocean breezes) and perfect for this crisp and aromatic style of rosé. The grapes are hand-harvested (best to handle Pinot Noir as gently as possible) and then fermented in stainless steel.

The nose is just stunning -  very aromatic and evolving in the glass quite a bit.  Tons of candied orange rind (the winery tasting notes say tangerine oil - I like that description) along with wild strawberry, white cherry, and a pleasant spicy note.

I've been drinking $10 rosés for these first few days, and with a wine like the Crossbarn Rosé, the benefits of the trade up are really illuminated.  You get a crafted wine, the balance of fruit and acidity is perfect, the nose and palate are much more complex, not just one note, but multi-layered. The palate mirrors the nose, but also has a freshness and minerality that whets the appetite. Yum!  Prepare to be transported to Sonoma wine country!

The Verdict
color: deep ballet slipper pink
nose: strawberry, orange zest
palate: strawberry, watermelon, candied orange rind, minerality
price: $18
pairing: fish tacos, lobster rolls and grilled chicken caesar salad!!
One of my favorite roses. If you live near me, I'm willing to share, but you should probably buy your own!!

South African Sipper - DMZ Cabernet Rosé 2013

Today's exploration in pink takes us to South Africa where I tasted the DMZ Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé 2013.   I'm on the road this week, so my stemware was actually a plastic cup!   The DMZ rosé is made with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon  by the DeMorgenZen winery in Stellenbosch from grapes within the Western Cape. You can see from the map below that it's a fairly large area spanning several wards and regions.  This is not the most terroir specific rosé, but I think it's very interesting and really delivers a punch for hovering around the $10 range.   

  

Yes, this is an inexpensive rosé, but it's still interesting.  I kept going back to sniff and swirl to try and decipher what I thought I was smelling.  It somehow embodies both the sweet (in the fruity aromas of strawberry) and the savory (cumin spice) and a third characteristic... earth maybe - but really it was more of an asphalt smell - like newly laid asphalt - very tarry.  One might expect this distinct pungency on the nose  from South Africa - and that's not a negative comment (from me anyway).  I find that $10 wines can be boring - this was not the case with DMZ.

The Verdict

color: dark salmon pink

nose: currant, macerated strawberries, hot asphalt after the rain

palate: mouthwatering, bright acidity, more mineral than fruit - some tart redcurrant or cranberry not much

price: $10.99 

pairing: I didn't pair it with anything, but it would be great with some shrimp pad thai... or maybe i'm just hungry.  Drink as an aperetif - like many rosés, but serve some food with it - with all of the zippy acidity can really stand up to proscuitto and other cured meats 'n snausages. 

NY State of Rose, Martha Clara Northern Solstice 2012, Long Island, NY

I enjoyed this Long Island rosé that was given as a gift to our adopted aunt and uncle; Linda and Gene Brody (they are also our bridge partners) I will also add that Linda is recovering from knee replacement surgery and refrained from taking any pain pills so she could enjoy a glass (or two) of this rosé with me! How is that for dedication!

I couldn't find any information about the grape varietal.
It only says Dry Rosé.  Martha Clara is on the North Fork of Long Island, so I am going to take a wild guess and say that its a rosé of Merlot.  The style was dry and pleasant, and crisp - nudging toward a Provencal style.  It is a 2012, and although it's about a year behind where most current rosés are - there was still a lot of tart strawberry and cranberry as well as some zippy acidity to still give good life to this wine.

Now, if some of my friends are still reading at this point, I'm going to blow your mind and give you a wee bit of background info on Martha Clara.  It's named for... wait for it... matriarch Martha Clara ENTENMANN!!  That's right, one of their sons bought an old potato farm and basically turned it into a horse heaven, and then succumbed to what his neighbors were doing and transformed the farm into vineyards in the mid-90's.  I wonder if this rosé would pair well with powdered donuts or pound cake... probably!

The Verdict
Color: pinky salmon (looks pinker than it really was in this picture)
Nose: faded strawberry, cranberry
Palate: crisp, mineral driven with tart red plum and strawberry
Price: unknown - approx $15.99
Pairing: We had this with a plain pie from the 70th street and Broadway pizzeria.  Pretty great.  It also cut right through the garlic knots in a very refreshing way!

www.marthaclaravineyards.com

Zippy and Refreshing Rosado from Spain, Armas de Guerra Rosada Mencia, 2013 -- Day 2 of Rosé Challenge

This tasty little rosado from Spain's underrated region of Bierzo is crisp and refreshing, and easy on the wallet.  For around 10 dollars, we get a 100% varietal - in this case; Mencia, old bush vines, and lots of tasty freshness and acidity.  All that and a sassy label - that's a pretty great scenario.

Grape - 100% Mencia
Region - Bierzo, Spain.

Mencia (also known as Jaen in neighboring Portugal) is the signature grape of the Bierzo region in Northwest Spain.  It's a naturally high acid grape (think Pinot Noir) and has typical flavors/aromas of strawberry and some interesting herbal qualities as well like mint.  Vino translation... this is a great food wine - that acidity is going to cut right through anything fatty or spicy.

This rosado is a great value, as are the red (tinto ) wines from that region - so make sure to try one when you get the chance. 




The Verdict
Color -pastel pink
Nose - cranberry, wild strawberry, herbaceous (tarragon?)
Palate - dry, strawberry, mineral, hint of mint
Price:  $10.99
Pairing: drank this alongside my signature Caesar salad.  Perfection!!

Day 1 of Rosé Challenge- Maison Bourron, Cotes de Provence 2013 - Easy like Sunday Evening

I  pulled this pretty bottle from my case o' rosés to pair with tonight's supper (BBQ  Chicken) and to inaugurate my first day of rose-a-thon-ing.  We start with the Maison Bourron Reserve, Cotes du Provence 2013.  It is a perfectly fine little rosé - uncomplicated and easy going.  This was good because Hubby and I were watching BBC Sherlock and didn't need our wine to steal the show.


I drank this tonight!

Maison Bourron is mysterious, I cannot find any information on this elusive (real?) winery.  The Pink Pages (as I will call them) that lists all Provence producers doesn't show any sign of them.  Actually, this is a great site http://www.provencewineusa.com/getting-to-know-rose. 

Since this is most likely a co-op wine or possibly the Brigadoon of wineries, I will fill in some blanks. 

Grapes: Provence wines are generally blends of these red/black grapes; Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault and Tibouren (old old varietal).

Region: located in the South of France roughly between Avignon and Cannes.  There are many different sub-regions, the largest and least strict is what we have here in the glass Cotes de Provence.  It is the easternmost area of Provence and also has a few little pockets to the west, in the less interesting terroirs.  I say less interesting, but the whole region is pretty beautiful (hills, valleys, lavender fields, limestoney cliffs, you get the idea).

Style:Dry, crisp, mineral driven, beautiful aromatics.  This Maison Bourron is a cheapie version so it has echos of it's more prestigious counterparts.

How great is this little snippet from the Pink Pages, "Provence offers the lifestyle many stressed Americans dream of. It's an outdoor lifestyle, flavored with fresh local vegetables, seafood, and olive oil, and food-friendly local wines. People tend to live and eat outside, taking full advantage of their beautiful surroundings – historic villages, terraced hillsides, lush lavender fields, and wild hiking paths." Heck yeah, get yourself to Provence if at all possible!!

Maison Bourron Reserve, Cotes de Provence 2013

$10.99 (have seen as low as $9.99 and as high as $13.99)

color: watermelon
nose: medium aromatics, minerally, unripe watermelon
palate: dry, mineral, tart strawberry,

Verdict:  easy drinking, nice acidity, but not terribly complex.  Felt that it stung the tongue in a slightly unpleasant way.  Perhaps alcohol slightly too high.

 For $10 bucks you could do a lot worse.  A whole lot worse. If it were just you and Alexander H,  this would be a good choice to bring to a bbq or picnic where the wine doesn't have to be the centerpiece - let it be the 2nd or 3rd wine and you're good to go!  It's not the most interesting drink in the world, but it's not offensive by any means.

30 Days of Rosé - an Exploration in Pink

I  LOVE rosés.  I am so happy to see that more and more people are loving them, too.  Wine stores are dedicating more space to them with pretty pink displays.  Wine lists are featuring rosé wines outside the summer months.  Having returned earlier this summer from Provence where I was hooked up with a veritable IV of rosé, I am glad that my addiction can continue.

Not only does rosé look pretty in the glass, it is really affordable (most available for under $20 a bottle), it's generally yummily aromatic, and with more and more producers bottling a rosé, we can really explore the world through this lovely style.

The challenge, I give myself (total hardship) is to drink rosés for the next 30 days.  Before I begin on this rosy journey with you all, I want to give you a little 411 on Rosé to make sure we're all on the same page. 

 Rosé Primer for all of your Pink Questions

How is it made?

Two major ways for quality pink- with red grapes through skin contact or saignée method:

Via  straight skin contact. Red grapes are picked, crushed and the juice and skins remain in contact for anywhere from several hours to about 3 days.  Skins are tossed before fermentation (unlike in red wine production where skins stay in contact). These grapes are destined to become rosé from their early days in the vineyard.  Let's say it's a Pinot Noir rosé - those Pinot Noir grapes will be treated differently in the vineyard, harvested at a different time than Pinot grapes that will be vinified red.  Result - skin-contact rosés tend to have more integrity and nuance.  

Saignée (Fr.bleeding) method - or I will call it BY-Product Method- this is where wine is bled off from red wine production before fermentation.  It's main purpose it to intensify the red, to add tannin & color because the volume of juice in the must is reduced, and the must involved in the maceration becomes more concentrated. It seems like this would have less integrity than the skin contact method, but I've tried some great rosés done in this way.

Is all Rosé Pepto Pink?

There are many colors of the rosé  rainbow - ranging from pale orangey onion skin (many Provence roses) to a bright clear red (think fruit punch)

But I don't like sweet wine

Don't worry, not all rosé  is sweet.  I know that most of you know that anyway, but 9.5 out of 10 roses are going to be dry.  They may be fruity with wonderful aromas of watermelon, cherry, and strawberry but it won't be sweet.  It may look like fruit punch, but it doesn't taste that way.

Sweet Rosé  - White Zinfandel, Rosé d'Anjou, White Merlot - anything labeled blush (rarer these days)

How do I pair food with Rosé

This is one of the top reasons why I love this style of wine... it is easily paired with food. 

• Pair it with nothing - drink/guzzle it without food
• Salads - salade nicoise, charred salmon atop greens, Caesar salad
• Spice - can hold up to heat.  bring on the spicy chicken wings and curries
• sandwiches - no one talks about pairing your Sammie with wine -- a great rosé will pair with your turkey and avocado on brioche.
• Meats - pork loin = perfect (depending on the rub you might even take a darker rosé)  chicken of course.  duck?  of course!

Say SI to Falanghina

Say SI to Falanghina

A Southern Italian white that you should be drinking now

This Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina del Sannio 2012 made it's way into my refrigerator and I've been enjoying it over the last two nights.  It held up on night #2.  Brava!

411: Falanghina is an ancient white grape of Greek origin and it's grown in the volcanic soil in Naples's province of Campagnia.   Jancis Robinson says it can also be referred to as Falanghina Greco (some of you may know and love another Campanian white called Greco di Tufo).

Falanghina is a mineral driven white with lovely floral and citrus components.
I would drink these young, but I'm sure there is a case for aging Falangine (plural?) because of the acidity.  At any rate, I would say that most of the wines we get in the under $20 category should be drunk max 2 years old. 

The Feudi Falanghina  was from the 2012 vintage, and I expected to detect some age (ie oxidation or loss of fruit), however, it was still quite bright and fresh.  The color was a mellow straw, and the nose was very aromatic and fresh.  There was a hint of orange peel, Meyer lemon, and melon.  On the palate, the flavors mirrored the nose, but there was also a crisp mineral sensation which paired really well with my curried chicken and avocado salad. 


Oh, and don't be afraid of mispronouncing this if you want to order it on a wine list.  It's pronounced Fa-lan-geeee-nuh.  I was having a lovely lunch with my parents at the ever amazing A Voce in New York City, and my Dad was a little tentative in asking the server for a glass, but the wonderful waiter didn't know how to pronounce it either - and they've got great training there, so just do your best and don't worry.  Point if you have to.  Don't let it stop you from exploring a new wine.  No one's judging you and if they are... they should be put in a pneumatic press!