Drink In Life

A Summer Fling in the Garden with Rosé

Posted on June 8, 2019 by drinkinlife

Far beyond the array of pink hues there’s something special about Rosé, a quality that sets it part from other wine.

With the arrival of June you can hear the cheers of joy from Rosé Wine Lovers far and near, “Rosé All Day!” So, it should come as no surprise that with the start of the first Summer month a day would be put on the calendar to celebrate this popular pink wine. Today is National Rosé Day, held annually on the second Saturday in June. National Rosé Day was started by Swedish Rosé house Bodvár to raise a glass to this delightful favorite summertime wine. To ring in the arrival of Summer I wanted to pay tribute to Rosé Day by introducing some Washington and Oregon Rosé wines that I will be enjoying this summer in my favorite place, my backyard and garden.

A Bouquet of Summer Rosé

In April I traveled to the Newberg area of the Willamette Valley for a wine and food experience. While there I was able to pick up five Oregon winery Rosé to sample and enjoy during the Summer months.

Let’s be honest. Pinot Noir Rosé from Oregon is a desirable, eloquent wine that is easy to love. Do not however consider it a singular wine because Pinot Noir Rosé comes in a wide array of styles. Although the majority of the Rosé produced from Oregon is Pinot Noir, the grapes being used from 8+ AVA Pinot Noir terriors ensures that each is unique in color, aroma and flavor. Below are five excellent examples of the diversity of Oregon Pinot Noir Rosé.

Ayres 2018 Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir

Ayres 2018 Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir is made from the Pommard Pinot Noir grape.

After tasting Ayres new 2018 Rosé in their tasting room and talking with winemaker Brad about the vintage, I was thrilled to be able to bring home a Sample of this wine to enjoy this summer. Buoyant and bright, this Rosé showcases the best of a Pinot Noir Rosé with notes of morning dew rose petals, and ripe Spring strawberries on the nose. The same crisp flavors can be found on the palate, with the addition of a pleasant smoke and spice combination that is light as air. If you are looking for a unique Rosé to help you pass those summer days, then look no further than this Estate wine from Ayres.

2018 Bells Up Prelude

I was really excited to finally have the opportunity to visit Bells Up Winery in Newberg, after corresponding with Sara Specter and her husband Dave for over a year. When they sat down with me and poured their 2018 Prelude Rosé I knew instantly that I was in for a treat. The deep pink color, almost a translucent red was just beautiful and when I was given a Sample to bring home, I knew that I would be saving this ‘Prelude’ for something special.

This is Bells Up wineries Second Estate Wine release, made with Estate Vineyard Chehalem Mountains AVA grapes. The 2018 Bells Up Prelude is like a sunny summer day picnic in a bottle. All of the flavors of a picnic in each sip, like a blanket laid out with strawberries, watermelon and pink lemonade. A well balanced Rosé with citrus undertones and a dry finish. This musical Rosé was named for Franz Liszt’s “Symphonic Poem No. 3: Les Preludes” and will be a Romantic Era addition to any summer picnic. I’m going to pretend that this is the end of an Opera Aria (and not a Symphony score) and give a loud hearty “BRAVO” to this Prelude.

Soter Vineyards North Valley 2018 Pinot Noir Rosé

North Valley 2018 Pinot Noir Rosé looks right at home among the apples forming in my backyard garden.

I feel so fortunate to have been able to visit Soter Winery in the beautiful Yamhill-Carlton countryside. The setting of the winery was as inviting as the wines being poured and for me their Rosé hit all the right marks. This wine had an amazing sense of place. Both on the nose and palette you get a bright and lovely blend of sun kissed wild strawberries, and cooked bursting open cranberries. Creamy with that sprinkle of sea salt on the tongue, I loved the slight hint of white peach and blink of tartness. This was a smooth and elegant Rosé that enticed me enough to purchase a bottle to enjoy this Summer.

Roco Winery 2018 Gravel Road Rosé

The color of ROCO’s Rosé looks beautiful next to my ripening garden strawberries.

This Sample from ROCO Winery is one that I have not tasted yet but if it is anything like their other wines than I know this will be a special Summer sip. Below are tasting notes from ROCO’s website.

“The aromas remind me of the beginning of a red wine Pinot Noir fermentation. There is a “sweet” blending of cherry blossom scents with delicate fresh Willamette Valley strawberry fruit and a base of early summer treats like rhubarb pie and Royal Ann cherry fruit. The wine immerses you in flavors of raspberry, Oregon strawberry, and Bing cherry. The balance of bright acidity and rich, complex fresh fruit in this wine lends it incredible versatility when enjoyed alone, with friends, and with a plethora of food groups.” – Rollin Soles, Winemaker

Alexana Winery 2018 Rosé of Pinot Noir

In April during the Release party I heard more than one person requesting a case of the Alexana Rosé of Pinot Noir. With only 130 cases left at the start of the Release Party it was a much sought after bottle. Alexana makes their Rosé with whole clusters of fruit that is immediately pressed and stored with barely any to juice contact in an aged barrel of 100% French Oak for 4 months.

Do you know the smell of a Creamsicle Cream Bar on a stick when you are eating it. You get the smell of the orange and cream but also a light wood scent from the popsicle stick from this Rosé, a dreamy aroma. On the palate the Rosé was like tasting honey and citrus soaked edible flowers. This wine was purchased and found a spot my cellar until the perfect warm summer evening arrives.

A Corsage of Washington Rosé

A wide variety of grapes for making Rosé, from pinot noir to grenache to cabernet franc to sangiovese and more are used by Washington winemakers. As diverse as the grapes are that make Washington wines so desirable, the winemakers attention to every aspect of the Rosé making process, promises a unique Rosé from each of these three Washington wineries.

Canoe Ridge Vineyard The Expedition 2016 Rosé

Always a fan of Canoe Ridge Vineyard Rosé I took a chance when I found some bottles recently at my local store of the 2016 Vintage for a great price. However, like an old flame, past seasons of Canoe Ridge Vineyard Rosé have me reminiscing and as with many other wineries this years 2018 release will soon find a place in my wine fridge.

Many people say drink Rosé young and I agree but these bottles were purchased to expand on the strawberry and watermelon flavors of this wine when incorporated into a Summer Rosé Slushy. I will be writing more about this later this Summer, when it is hot and a refreshing Wine Slushy is just the thing to enjoy outside.

Va Piano Winery 2018 Rosé

I can’t say for sure if this Rosé from Va Piano will still be around when the tomatoes are ripe on these plants.

If you are not familiar with Walla Walla Winery Va Piano, then let me tell you that you are in for a nice surprise. I visited Va Piano last month for the first time and came home with 2 bottles of this lovely Rosé and a bottle of their Chardonnay. Looking for more than just Washington Red Wines on this trip I was thrilled to purchase this wine after a wonderful visit to the Va Piano tasting room. Now I do not want to give away too much because I will be sharing more of this visit soon but I had to add this Rosé this list. Intrigued, I hope so!

“Spending time in Nature has a way of nourishing the Soul.” –Katrina Mayer

Seven Hills Winery 2018 Dry Rosé

A Summer would not be complete without some Seven Hills Winery Rosé.

Another disclaimer here, I haven’t tasted this 2018 Rosé from Seven Hills Winery yet. But, don’t let that sway you in adding it to your Summer Rosé list. Seven Hills Winery was kind enough to give me a sample of this years release after I visited them in Walla Walla a few weeks ago, and I can’t wait to open this bottle. Truth be told, each year I add several bottles of Seven Hills Rosé to my Summer wine collection. Another disclaimer, I am a huge fan of all of Seven Hills Wines. I hope that you give it a try and wait for a story about Seven Hills Winery to come later this summer.

Tasting notes from Seven Hills Winery Website: In the tradition of the classic French Rosés, ours is delicate and refreshing, pale in color, and bone-dry. Primarily Cabernet Franc, with small amounts of Petit Verdot for additional structure and Malbec for expressive fruitfulness, this wine exhibits flavors of peach, grapefruit, and papaya along with fresh herbs and minerality.

Sipping a glass of Rosé sipped on the back deck on a beautiful Summer day is my kind of day.

I hope that I introduced you to some new Summer Rosés and that you add a few of them to your summer sipping list. Rosé is such a versatile wine that works with any meal and is perfect for picnics, summer parties and camping. I would love to hear about your favorite Rosé and what you pair it with.

For more information about each of the wines introduced here please visit them at:

Ayres Winery https://ayresvineyard.com/
Bells Up Winery https://bellsupwinery.com/
Soter Vineyards http://sotervineyards.com/
ROCO Winery http://rocowinery.com/
Alexana Winery https://www.alexanawinery.com/
Canoe Ridge Vineyard https://canoeridgevineyard.com/
Va Pinao Vineyards http://www.vapianovineyards.com/
Seven Hills Winery https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/

The Custom Drink In Nature Pillow was made by https://alliestudio.com/p/custom-covers

“A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in–what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars.”

― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

Images © Drink In Nature Photography and Drink In Life Blog.

Wine Boot Camp

Posted on June 6, 2019 by drinkinlife

1 Comment

Woodinville Wine Country 2019 Wine Boot Camp

“I’m Still Learning.” Michelangelo at age 81!

Life is best experienced when we continually learn new things and broaden our horizons. One of my goals this year was to try and fill in as many of the gaps that I could when it comes to my knowledge of wine, winemaking, and wine regions. When the opportunity arose to attend the Annual Wine Boot Camp put on by Woodinville Wine Country, I knew it would be a perfect way to “keep learning”.

Four in-depth wine education sessions taught by winemakers and industry educators from around Woodinville.

Decoding Foreign Wine Labels

For this blog post I wanted to focus on the first of the four Boot Camp sessions, Decoding Foreign Wine Labels. Foreign Wine Labels have always perplexed me, especially while trying to choose a “just right wine” from the wide selections carried by many big box wine retailers. I really wanted to learn how to decipher these information filled labels. Designed as a practical lesson to help you understand the basics of foreign wine labels, instructor Tanya Morningstar Darling covered the history and origin of foreign labeling, and how to apply what you learn selecting a wine from a wine list or wine store.

Tanya Morningstar Darling has been working in the wine industry; in restaurants, retail, and education for more than two decades. She has been teaching about wine since 2004.

Each of the following wines were introduced with an in depth education about how the particular country generally labels their wines. As much as I would love to share all the information I learned about Decoding wine labels, this was Instructor Tanya’s class and I do not want to just copy all the information she provided. So, I wanted to instead highlight the six wines tasted, after all isn’t this the best part, being able to taste each of the wines? The line up for the first session included a impressive array of different wines, each in their own way peaking my interest. These wines, all listed below, are available at Esquin Wine & Spirits locally in Seattle. (https://madwine.com/ )

NV Maurice Bonnamy Cremant De Loire Brut Sparkling Wine
2016 Schlossgut Diel Dorsheim Riesling
2017 R. Dubois & Fils Bourgogne Rouge
2016 Uccelliera Rosso di Montalcino
2011 Diaz Bayo Ribera Del Duero Reserva
2015 Chappellet Mountain Cuvée

Before I delve into each of these wines, I have to share how impressed I was with the Instructor Tanya Morningstar Darling, and her enthusiasm for wine and educating others about wine. Tanya expressed things about tasting experiences that I have always felt when it comes to wine, like “What you smell is yours, there is no right or wrong about it”. This says so much because of the four people at my table, we rarely agreed on what we smelled or tasted when it came to tasting the same exact bottle of wine.

NV Maurice Bonnamy Cremant De Loire Brut Sparkling Wine

Starting a tasting flight off with a Sparkling Wine is always a treat, it helps ready the palate, and gives you something to sip between each of the remaining wines to reclaim your palate. The NV Maurice Bonnamy Cremant De Loire is a Non-Vintage Sparkling wine that drinks incredibly well for a $15 bottle. On the nose you get Apple and Quince with notes of mineral elements floating up with the bubbles. On the palate is was refreshing (especially for 9:30 in the morning), it was fairly dry and actually lacked much fruit flavor, what amazed me was the mineral flavors present in each sip that I previously smelled. I don’t know if I would rush out and buy a bottle of this Sparkling Wine but I also would not put my hand over my glass if someone were to offer me a pour.

2016 Schlossgut Diel Dorsheim Riesling

One of the first things that struck me was the vintage of this Riesling, a 2016? This added to my continual education that some white wines can age quiet well and this Riesling was an example of this fact. This 2016 Schlossgut Diel Dorsheim Riesling was lovely on the nose with a intoxicating smell of pear and apricot blended with a slight mineral edge. Some in the room said it smelled of petrol, but I could not detect this. A citrus flavor on the tongue, it felt rich but dry and a little salty but still pleasant to drink. A nice introduction to a German Riesling, at $32 a bottle I personally would like to try other Riesling from the same region before investing in bottles to cellar.

2017 R. Dubois & Fils Bourgogne Rouge

As much as I wanted to like this 2017 R. Dubois & Fils Bourgogne Rouge I enjoyed the aroma more than I did the flavor. With the smell of vanilla soaked blueberries and blackberries, smelling this wine made me think of berries that are almost overly ripe in the middle of August. The flavor was very dry and full of ripe fruit but it really lacked a depth that was needed to draw me in completely. For this wine I focused on learning more about the label to help me decode French wine labels. This Pinot Noir sells for $18 a bottle.

2016 Uccelliera Rosso di Montalcino

The 100% Sangiovese grapes used in this 2016 Uccelliera Rosso di Montalcino are selected from the youngest Brunello di Montalcino vineyards, also known as the vineyards in the coolest areas. The result is a bright velvety, well-balanced and medium-bodied wine that is crisp, dry and fruity. A plush ripeness is apparent in the aroma of sweet dark plums, spice and fresh cut wood. I wanted to fall for this wine given my previous experience with Sangiovese. Though it had a firm expression, silky tannins, and a flavorful finish, it wasn’t a wine I would be excited to drink. I felt it may have been better when it was first bottled, or would have been better if it was given more time to open up in a decanter or aerator. The wines in this six bottle flight were opened before the session started but not given much time to sit before being poured.

2011 Diaz Bayo Ribera Del Duero Reserva

This 2011 Diaz Bayo Ribera Del Duero Reserva presented a powerful 100% Tempranillo punch and an equally strong alcohol level at 14%. I loved everything about this Spanish wine and so did the rest of my table. In full agreement it was our favorite of the first six wines of the morning.

With a beautifully aged complexity there was much to appreciate about this 2011 Vintage.

Components on the nose were like a raisin figgy pudding topped with a liquid chocolate sauce. This was a wine to swirl and sniff, and repeat; Heavenly. This ripe Ribera del Duero offered a fleshy sip that sang with an earthy black-fruit flavor, dried prunes and spicy notes that wrapped around your tongue prior to a thick long finish. Available for $19 a bottle this would be a wine that I would stock up on and cellar to enjoy now and over the next five years.

A New World Wine Finale 2015 Chappellet Mountain Cuvée

Wine Blend: 37% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc.

This wine our Instructor Tanya chose as an example of New World Wine with an Old World Label for Marketing purposes. With the Merlot taking a slight lead on this blend on the nose you get Classic pops of cherry, pepper and cocoa. This wine definitely had a story to tell and each grape variety aspired to not be over staged by the others. These Noble Five Red Bordeaux varietals were blended with care and like the end of a play, each grape stepped forward to take their bow before the curtain falls at the finish. I appreciated this wine’s silky balance and how it offered a sensibility toward comfort with its flavor. Strong smokey pepper notes followed an initial introduction of red currants and vanilla, dry yet seamless with layers of structured tannins. A really solid complex blend of Bordeaux varietals. Priced around $30 a bottle this California wine was a nice way to end the Session One tasting.

At the end of the first Session our Boot Camp group made our way to Pondera Winery for a tasting, lunch from Purple Cafe Woodinville, and a presentation by 58 Stars Travel detailing some upcoming Wine Wanderlust Travel Experiences.

As I stated before, I wish I could share all of the information about Decoding Foreign Wine Labels, but after all this was Tanya Morningstar Darling’s class. Tanya has a list of wine education opportunities and upcoming wine study trips on her website, I encourage you to visit https://www.cellarmuse.com/ to learn more.

I hope that you visit the websites of those who helped make this session and lunch a success: