Move over Moscato. You are so over. Rosé is having its moment. Everyone is writing about it, from Eric Asimov in the New York Times, Lettie Teague in the Wall Street Journal, Jon Bonné in the San Francisco Chronicle and countless wine bloggers. Everyone is drinking Rosé. Sales are on a rising trajectory, and everyone it seems, is making a Rosé now. I remember a time, not too long ago, when we were writing articles called “Don’t be Afraid to Drink Pink,” or “Pink wine is for Real Men.” Now Rosé is a serious contender all its own. We don’t have to say Rosé is dry, not sweet and that it is not White Zinfandel. We’ve all learned that good Rosé is dry, crisp, fruity and refreshing, but it still has a little structure which makes it great for pairing with all kinds of food. Good Rosé is not sweet…
20 High-Low Late Summer Wines
We have about three weeks until Labor Day weekend, the end of summer. This is my favorite time of year (I love heat) for food and for wine. When the temperature rises I instinctively reach for an aromatic white or rosé. Of all the wines I’ve been drinking this summer, my favorites fall into two distinct price categories: $15 or less, or over $20. Many of my go to wines come from Trader Joe’s and are less than $10.
That got me thinking about fashion, and how the most stylish dressers put together outfits that are high-low combinations. For example, you pair a H&M top at $14.99 with Tory Burch pants that cost $295 and a pair of Michael Michael Kors shoes (his 2nd label, also called a diffusion line) for $120. And you probably get more compliments on the H&M top than you do the pants or shoes.
With high-low wine you can find some fabulous bottles for less than $15 that I bet you’ll get compliments on. But every now and then you want to splurge on a great pair of $300 boots just because. Same with wine, there are just some times when a splurge on a bottle with a price tag of $20 or higher is justified. I’ve made list of 20 wines, with pairs grouped according to the high-low principle. Read more
EATDRINK – Quivira Vineyards
If you haven’t heard of Quivira, a winery in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma, it’s about time you get to know them. They’ve long been in the forefront of sustainability and guardianship of the land. Tonight they’re hosting a seasonal farm-to-table dinner; much of the meal comes from the winery property. There’s a biodynamic garden, and it’s not just for the winery. Quivira grows produce for several local restaurants. There’s also a chicken coop, beehives, and pigs. Plus there is a creek, Wine Creek, that runs through the property. Quivira has been committed to restoring the habitat for steelhead trout for years. The wines are delicious and quite interesting. Have you ever heard of using acacia wood barrels? Or how about co-fermenting Grenache and Zin or Grenache and Petite Sirah? This is what you’ll find at Quivira. This is the first release of these 2 wines and they…
Pink Out!
Tasted some great rosé wines at Pink Out 2009 in San Francisco! Look for Azur from Julien Fayard assistant winemaker to superstar vintner Philippe Melka; de Tomas rosé — a stellar first release from Thomas and Ashleen Guilliams. Also check out the rose from Kate’s Vineyard. Lush and floral.