It’s a ‘perfect rosé storm’ as once-shunned wine blossoms on marketplace shelves

Click photo for larger image


Wine Photo of The Day by Mike9Alive — Click photo for larger image

Wine Photo of the Day by Mike9Alive

Once upon a time, when it came to wines, the word rosé might well have been synonymous with déclassé.

Sweet stuff.

Something with “white” in front of the name (as in “white Zinfandel”).

Or perhaps equated with the fairly frivolous (as in “blush” or “pink Chablis”).

Well, times have changed.

As the San Francisco Chronicle puts it, in an article headlined, Stop and drink the rosé: Once-shunned wine explodes onto marketplace:

“With a blazing turnaround, dry rosés have exploded onto the market and are everywhere in stores, restaurants and bars. ‘It’s a perfect rosé storm,’ says Jeff Morgan, winemaker and co-owner of SoloRosa Wines, the only winery in America founded on dry rosé, now in its eighth vintage.”

That article, by staff writer Cindy Lee, is paired with a helpful backgrounder on various types of premium rosés.

And last but certainly not least, there’s a long listing of domestic dry rosé picks, including two that fit comfortably in our cherished “desperately seeking $10 wine values” category:

  • 2007 Toad Hollow Eye of the Toad Sonoma County Dry Pinot Noir Rosé.
  • 2006 Trentadue Monte Lago Vineyard Clear Lake Grenache Rosé.

In case you needed any more persuading, take it from Jon Priest, winemaker at the Napa, Calif., winery Etude, who tells The Chronicle: “What’s not to love about rosé? It’s refreshing, it’s approachable, and it pairs well with most summer dishes.”

Want to find a perfectly priced bottle of wine? Give the Smarter Wine Search a try.

‘Love at first sip’ for rosé wines in this season of flowers

Love at first sip might be your reaction after trying a Patton Valley Vineyard Pinot Noir Rosé 2007.

At least, that was mine.

So much so that I just about stretched the limits of the Wine News Review fairly frugal affordability index.

That is, I plunked down $17 for a bottle of the Patton!

That was after a wine tasting this past weekend at one of my favorite wine shops in the D.C. area, Vienna Vintner.

Dry (forget the notion that rosés have to be sweet), ever so subtly frizzante with watermelonly tones and a slight acidic rush. But what I think got to me was its hint of flowers.

It is, after all, spring.

For more on the subject of spring and rosés, check out TODAY columnist Edward Deitch’s recent observations in an aptly headlined column “Stop and ‘smell’ the rosés.”

Deitch expounds on his affection for the season’s pinks and lists a couple of his finds, including one that fits rather nicely in the fairly frugal affordability index: a 2007 Roseum from Vina Robles in Paso Robles on California’s Central Coast (about $13).

Bonus info: Ever wonder why some wines are pink? The preferred method of producing them, according to my handy copy of The Oxford Companion to Wine, is to allow the juice of the grapes to linger with the dark-colored skins for only a brief period of time, several hours in some cases.

Want to find a perfectly priced bottle of wine? Give the Smarter Wine Search a try.

Experts’ weekend wine bargains: Serve some Super Bowl alternatives to beer

Comparing the picks: A survey of recent selections from popular wine experts, spotlighting bargains and best values among other choices at their websites.

2006 Quara Cafayate Valley Torrontes:
Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, The Washington Post — ‘Suited for the Super Bowl’ is the apt headline for this fruity pick that’s “a perfect match for guacamole and even held its own against steak-topped nachos.” $9

2006 Anderson Valley Gewurztraminer:
Edward Deitch, TODAYshow.com — Another Super Bowl alternative to beer, this one is “dry and restrained, with signature gewürztraminer spiciness and classic lychee fruit.” $18

2006 Domaine Allimant-Laugner Pinot Gris A.C. Alsace, France – Alsace:
Natalie MacLean, Nat Decants — From a producer known for making “world-beater wines,” this best-buy white is an “amazingly flavorful wine with floral and citrus aromas.” $16.85

2007 Angove’s Nine Vines Rose, South Australia:
Jerry Shriver, USA TODAY — “There’s enough heft to this wine and enough juicy richness to convince me that rose wines aren’t just for warm-weather sipping.” About $12

Tip: Print out this list and bring it to your local wine shop — even if a specific favorite isn’t available, ask the salesperson to recommend something similar. Or try browsing the latest wine reports from this custom collection of hundreds of news websites — filtered for bargains, continuously updated, and quick and easy to scan:

  • Reds (from Beaujolais to Zinfandel)
  • Whites (from Chablis to Sauvignon Blanc)
  • Organic (red, white, in between)

To hit closer to home, try WNR’s Smarter Wine Search tool and see what wine finds local columnists and wine experts may be writing about in your area. Once there, just type in your city and state (within quotation marks, as in, "Napa, California"), to get results ranked by relevance.

Or scroll down to the bottom of this page and dig into top wine lists from a variety of sources. You’ll also find links to everything from a food-pairing database to websites for comparative wine ratings.

The Web is about community. So take a moment to comment about your experience with a particular wine — to help steer others to or away from it. And of course, have a great weekend!

Experts’ weekend wine bargains: From a ‘vibrant’ Cab to a playful Tuscan

Comparing the picks: A survey of recent selections from popular wine experts, spotlighting bargains and best values among other choices at their websites.

2005 Markham Wines Glass Mountain Chardonnay Napa Valley, U.S.A. – California:
Natalie MacLean — A promise of "good balance … with green apples and oak." Her best value white selection. $13.95

Penfolds, South Eastern Australia (Australia) Shiraz “Koonunga Hill" 2005:
Michael Franz — "Tasty and expressive, but not over-the-top, this delicious wine features fresh berry fruit with hints of both red and black fruits." One of several Penfolds reviewed. $11

Fortant de France 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Vin de Pays d’Oc:
Beverage Testing Institute — A "supple, yet vibrant entry" that offers a "dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body of tangy cassis, crunchy red apple, and delicate cocoa-spice flavors." A best buy. $7

2005 Screw Kappa Napa, Napa Valley Zinfandel:
Lynne Char Bennett — A two-star pick among a long list of Napa Valley Zinfandels. "Smoked bacon and dried thyme wrap around its restrained purple fruit." $14

2005 Cecchi "Bonizio” Sangiovese di Maremma, IGT, Tuscany, Italy:
Jerry Shriver — Described as playful, meaning "full of pleasant dried-cherry and spice flavors, its light-to-medium texture dances on the tongue." About $9

Mochel Torino Malbec Calchaquí Valley Rosé 2007:
James Molesworth — Seen as very tasty and something to drink now … "really bright and juicy, with ebullient cherry and strawberry fruit." $12

2004 Chateau La Grange Clinet:
Edward Deitch — For a Bordeaux, this is a classic red that "won’t break the bank." It boasts "elegant fruit with notes of blackberry, cassis and black and red cherry, along with cedar and tobacco." $10

Terre del Nero d’Avola (Rossetti) 2005:
Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher — The best value among a group of Sicilian Nero d’Avola selections. "Nicely crisp, somewhat peppery and very interesting, with real life." $9.95

Castello Banfi, Col di Sasso 2006:
Dave McIntyre — This is a Cabernet Sauvignon/Sangiovese blend that "offers fruit and heft at a price rarely seen in a red from Tuscany." $10

Tip: Print out this list and bring it to your local wine shop — even if a specific favorite isn’t available, ask the salesperson to recommend something similar. Or try browsing the latest wine reports from this custom collection of hundreds of news websites — filtered for bargains, continuously updated, and quick and easy to scan:

  • Reds (from Beaujolais to Zinfandel)
  • Whites (from Chablis to Sauvignon Blanc)
  • Organic (red, white, in between)

To hit closer to home, try WNR’s Smarter Wine Search tool and see what wine finds local columnists and wine experts may be writing about in your area. Once there, just type in your city and state (within quotation marks, as in, "Napa, California"), to get results ranked by relevance.

Or scroll down to the bottom of this page and dig into top wine lists from a variety of sources. You’ll also find links to everything from a food-pairing database to websites for comparative wine ratings.

The Web is about community. So take a moment to comment about your experience with a particular wine — to help steer others to or away from it. And of course, have a great weekend!

The Web’s latest wine buzz, 10/28/07

Tune in to what top wine bloggers and experts are decanting into cyberspace with handpicked highlights of their latest and greatest, ranging from reviews of luscious rosés and a sweet desert wine to the skinny on Montalcino and the care of stemware.


For Master Sommelier Ronn Wiegand at Vino!, Autumn’s deepening signals it’s time to focus on rosés — the dry ones, which are “usually fuller bodied and more complex in flavor than most white wines.” He serves up 16 international recommendations, many of them well within Wine News Review’s fairly frugal affordability index. (Full disclosure: Chalk it up to the seasonal vibes, in advance of reading Wiegand’s paean, I gravitated to a lovely organic rosé the other day, a 2006 Chateau Miraval Cotes de Provence. Lively and dry, as “lip-smacking” as the label promises. No autumnal melancholy states with this baby around!) Anyway, to quote Wiegand…

Dry rosés have improved dramatically in quality in recent years, both because more top wineries are producing them and because the wine type is being treated with “respect” (that is, wines are being produced from quality grapes, by experienced vintners).


Speaking of coincidences, my gaze naturally gravitated to a Wine News cover story on Brunello, after trying a splendid 1998 Rienzi Brunello di Montalcino recently. (Frugality warning: At $65, alert readers will surely note that it’s way beyond the affordability index — but, hey, it was at a tasting event so I had to drink it.) Written by Kerin O’Keefe, this piece offers everything you might want to know about the history and current events of Brunello and its birthplace, Montalcino — an in-depth story with some suspense thrown in.

Montalcino has become an international sensation. Americans, in particular, can’t seem to get enough of what is undoubtedly Tuscany’s most prestigious wine, with one in every four bottles of Brunello made destined for U.S. shores. Yet the elite appellation is facing certain challenges that may require tough remedies to keep quality up and bring what has become the enological pride and joy of all of Italy to new and sustained levels of greatness. 


Dorothy J. Gaiter And John Brecher at The Wall Street Journal provide some delicious instructions on how to cap off a sensational dinner with friends — a “great finishing touch,” courtesy of Muscat, “with its unique aromas and tastes of honeysuckle, apricots, peaches and just-picked grapes.” With reviews of eight bottles, some quite affordable .

It probably will take some effort to find a Muscat Canelli. Many stores won’t have any and it’s unlikely you’ll find a big selection anywhere. But they’re out there— we bought ours from six states. So our advice is that sometime soon, long before your next big dinner party, call around and see if you can find one. Then, after dinner, don’t ask your friends if they want to try a sweet wine— they’ll likely say no. Just open and pour. The wine will do the rest.


An estimated 3 to 5 percent of cork-sealed wines go bad, and the blame often unfairly goes to the winery rather than, say, bad handling on the way to the shop or restaurant. Here’s a Washington Post behind-the-scenes glimpse by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg at the extent to which wineries are trying to fight back. With some wine recommendations thrown in.

Even if a bottle of wine leaves its winery in immaculate condition, the road it travels to your glass is fraught with peril every step of the way. Because wine is a living, breathing substance, it can be mortally wounded by improper handling. A wine that starts out perfect can be ruined by many factors: how it is shipped and stored, when and with what it is poured.

Although a number of those elements are out of the winemaker’s hands, if a bottle disappoints, customers probably will blame the winery whose name is on the label. That is why some wineries increasingly are going to extraordinary lengths to ensure customer satisfaction.


There are times when the reason for having printers attached to computers is crystal clear — that is, bring along this Vinography review of the Wine & Spirits Top 100 Wineries for 2007 event next time you’re headed to a wine shop, perhaps in case one of these selections happens to be on sale.

Thankfully the Wine & Spirits list doesn’t actually rank these wineries from 1 to 100, which would be inane to say the least. They just publish an issue with profiles of each and list their high scoring wines (which presumably got them on the list to begin with).

But more to the point, the magazine also happens to put on a tasting where all 100 of these wineries are invited to pour the wines that were rated highly by the magazine, and it ends up being one hell of a tasting.


Speaking of crystal, there’s “no excuse for stemware abuse,” says Wine Enthusiast. A quick and savvy primer on how to wash, dry and otherwise care for glassware so as to avoid unwanted tastes and odors. Stuff you should know.

You’ve gone to so much trouble to select the right wine, purchase the perfect glasses, serve just the right food — it would put a damper on your dinner to serve in cloudy glasses with a faint odor. If you’re guilty of neglecting your stemware, read on. The fact of the matter is that the way in which you wash and care for wine glasses has a direct effect on the taste of wine. Properly caring for your crystal will insure that your wines always taste their best.