Behind the Cork™ - Left Coast Rosé

2018 Left Coast Estate Rosé ($24)

Left Coast Cellars produces a bunch of nice wines from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. And, this Rosé is another fine example.

This blend of 76% Pinot Noir and 24% Pinot Meunier is fermented and aged in 100% neutral French Oak. The six month of neutral oak aging softens this rosé into a very delicate offering.

The Left Coast Rosé has light distinct aromas of rose pedals, white cherry and some interesting herbal and wood notes. On the palate, there are delicate fruit notes, low acidity and a creamy smoothness.

If you’ve been turned-off in the past by rosés that are like drinking fruity soda pop or pink lemonade, this rosé from Left Coast Cellars is one you should try. At 13.7% alcohol it’s completely dry (no residual sugar) and the red fruit flavors of the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (two of the primary grapes in the production of French Champagne) just peek through for some very nice delicate flavors.

As the weather warms up, rosé is always a perfect choice. Give this one a try with fresh feta or chévre cheeses that really accentuate the creamy character of this Left Coast Estate Rosé. Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Will Rogers of Donna White Communications

Have You Tried Rosé?

Yes, it's still winter. And rich, savory red wines are great with a hardy, warm meal. But with Valentine's Day near and spring being just around the corner, I thought I might touch on rosé wines.

Rosé wines have gotten a bad rap, and some of it is deserved. The White Zinfandel that became so popular in years' past has had a lot to do with rosé wines being greatly overlooked. And many times a rosé can be rather tasteless and weak, nothing there.

But rosés should not be rejected outright. There are many examples of rosés with great character. Light rosés can have flavors of grapefruit, strawberry and sweet cherry, while darker, bolder rosés can have flavors of black currant and blackberry. These flavors come from the many varieties of grapes used to produce rosé.  Fruity rosé can come from the Grenache, Sangiovese and Zinfandel grapes while savory rosé is made from Tempranillo, Syrah and even Cabernet Sauvignon.  Other rosés are made from Mourvèdre, Pinot Noir, Cinsault and Clairette grapes.  Check the label. Nicer rosés will tell you the type of grape used in making the wine.

A couple of keys to finding dry versus sweet rosé are alcohol content and where they are made.  Sweeter wines, in general, have lower alcohol levels (not all the sugar was converted to alcohol during fermentation). All wines labels are required to show the percent alcohol of the wine. If it's down around 8 or 9 percent, it's going to be sweet.  In the 11 to 12 percent range, it will be mid-range between sweet and dry. And, above 12 percent it's going to be dry.  And, typically, rosés from Old World countries are going to be drier. French rosés from Provence are made of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mouvèdre, Spanish rosé (rosado) is typically made from the Grenache grape while Italian rosato is made with various grapes depending on where they are from. These are all excellent, dry rosés that are typically quite affordable. You should be able to find a nice rosé under $20.

Rosé wines go great with a large variety of foods and are typically served cool to cold. In future posts, I'll touch on the various methods for producing a rosé wine and discuss acidity since many rosés have bright acidity that works well with many food pairing.

If you haven't taken rosé seriously up to now, I suggest you give it a try. You are likely to be surprised! Cheers!

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Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week - Francis Coppola Sofia Rosé ($13)

This is a nice, light rosé that's dry (the 12.5% alcohol listed on the label should tip you off that it's dry).  This is a blend of Syrah and Pinot Noir with flavors of cherry, raspberry and citrus zest.  Chill it and enjoy!

A little trivia - Francis Ford Coppola named this rosé for his daughter, Sofia, who is an Academy Award winning screenwriter, director, producer and actress.

Rosé for Valentines Day

Ah, pink wine.  Yes, it has gotten a bad reputation from the past. You may remember Mateus, Lancers, Cold Duck and White Zinfandel.  Unfortunately rosé wines have been considered second class wines. But, that's all changed!

Rosé is made from red wine grapes, but the grape juice has had very little exposure to the dark grape skins during the wine making process.  So, a white Zinfandel is made from the same grape that produces a bottle of red wine Zinfandel, but the Zinfandel grape's juice was quickly separated from the red (or purple) grape skins, resulting in a pink colored wine.

In the past, rosé wines have been synonymous with sweet wines.  That can still be true.  But there are a lot more dry rosé wines available today.  And, a key to finding the dryer, less sweet, wines is by looking at the wine's alcohol content.  All wines labels are required to show the percent alcohol of the wine. If it's down around 8 or 9 percent, it's going to be sweet.  In the 11 to 12 percent range it will be mid-range between sweet and dry. And, above 12 percent it's going to be a dry rosé.

And, today you'll find rosé wines that are not just blends of red grapes, but produced from specific grape types.  So, you may find rosés made from Pinot Noir, Grenache, Sangiovese, Syrah and even from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. These are wonderful wines to enjoy lightly chilled on a warm day, but should be considered for anytime that a lighter wine is desired.

So, there is no shame in drinking a 'pink' wine. It's not just for girls anymore. And the great part is that rosé wines are a lot more affordable. You don't need to pay more than $15 to find a great bottle of rosé.  Here's to lifting a glass of rosé for Valentine's Day, or any day of the year. Cheers!