VinoDuo is Lisa & Gary. Engaged in Sonoma. Honeymooned in Napa. Vacationed in
Temecula (CA), Woodinville (WA), and other off the beaten path wine regions. We’ve married our love of wine with our passion for travel, visiting lesser-known wine regions throughout the United
States. We’ve got strong opinions about the pros and cons of each wine region and this is our forum for airing and sharing them.
Parker Shmarker... Delicious Rosé Without Snobbery or Budget Robbery
The recent addition of Robert Parker's (RP) column to Business Week (BW) is notable and shows that BW is finding new ways to shill its magazine. The great majority of BW's readers will certainly benefit from RP's deep and respectable knowledge of the vine, but why start with Rosé, which is a fun wine, a "deck wine" as Lisa and I call it. OK, it's summer in the city and the pavement is hot, so why not a cool glass of Rosé?
RP touched upon Australian, French, Spanish and California offerings within the $10 to $27 range and one example of "flaunt it if you've got it" extravagance at $150! " Rosé with smoke and crushed rocks???" OK... So if you buy this 95 point RP selection perhaps you have something other than the standard gray matter between your ears. It's Rosé, not a great Cab or Bordeaux.
My take on Rosés... there are true Rosés and wines that aspire to be Rosés (in the longest stretch of the category) and they're available from many regions throughout the world. Most are reasonably priced $8 - $20, but not all of these are created equal. In fact some could remove the paint from your dad's Oldsmobile while others are diamonds in the rough.
Our recent travels to the Long Island, New York (yes, they do make good wines there!) wineries netted a couple of winners. I rate these as Delicious because that's how I can best describe this deck/patio party/barbeque beverage. The first selection is Rosé Table Wine from Waters Crest Vineyards. Lisa called this "Yummy!" Another Yummy and Delicious" selection from Vino Duo
comes from the Lieb Family Cellars under the label of "Bridge Lane." Another "One of the best Rosé-style summer wines we've tasted in some time comes from Caymus Vineyards (known for outstanding Cabernet Savignon and Conundrum white). Their Rosé blend is offered only at certain times of the year and only through the winery.
RP touched upon Australian, French, Spanish and California offerings within the $10 to $27 range and one example of "flaunt it if you've got it" extravagance at $150! " Rosé with smoke and crushed rocks???" OK... So if you buy this 95 point RP selection perhaps you have something other than the standard gray matter between your ears. It's Rosé, not a great Cab or Bordeaux.
My take on Rosés... there are true Rosés and wines that aspire to be Rosés (in the longest stretch of the category) and they're available from many regions throughout the world. Most are reasonably priced $8 - $20, but not all of these are created equal. In fact some could remove the paint from your dad's Oldsmobile while others are diamonds in the rough.
Our recent travels to the Long Island, New York (yes, they do make good wines there!) wineries netted a couple of winners. I rate these as Delicious because that's how I can best describe this deck/patio party/barbeque beverage. The first selection is Rosé Table Wine from Waters Crest Vineyards. Lisa called this "Yummy!" Another Yummy and Delicious" selection from Vino Duo
comes from the Lieb Family Cellars under the label of "Bridge Lane." Another "One of the best Rosé-style summer wines we've tasted in some time comes from Caymus Vineyards (known for outstanding Cabernet Savignon and Conundrum white). Their Rosé blend is offered only at certain times of the year and only through the winery.
At last it's safe to come out of the closet and declare one's love of rose wines. In the same vein, I had a chance recently to visit the David Bruce Winery in Los Gatos, CA. They are known mostly for their Pinot Noirs but I was happily introduced to a pour of their 2004 Saignee, a blush wine made from Pinot Noir grapes. Saignee (or bleeding)refers to an alternative method of creating a blush wine when the winemaker desires to impart more tannin and color to the wine and removes some pink must. It was very tasty and refreshing and should be considered in a round up of rose wines
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Not familiar with the David Bruce Winery in Los Gatos. We'll have to stop by on our drive from San Francisco to Paso Robles and check out the Saignee. Sounds delicious; thanks for the tip!
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The 2004 David Bruce Saignee I just referred to is about $20.00
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Just had the 2005 A to Z Oregon Rose (made entirely with Sangiovese grapes). I paid $14.99 and it was wonderful. Tried the Magu Rose (Spanish $17 and as recommended by the NYT as alternative to the much trendy and expensive Domaine Ott ) on a previous warm and lovely Sunday afternoon and wasn't nearly as impressed. Yikes hurry up and buy and drink the A to Z because the NYT tells me that along with our white shoes, we need to put the rose away after Labor Day!
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Are you saying the days of wine and rosé are over
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okay, I got this in just under the wire (September 4th) and am able to represent France in my mini-sampling having been gifted with Domaine Houchart Cotes de Provence Rose (shhh-price tag was left on $9.99!. And a lovely gift it was. Dry, rich color with nice taste of strawberry. That was a fun. A to Z still the favorite. Until next year...
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