2023 Wines of Substance Ro Rosé

Happy Sunday!  Well, even though it seems that summer is oh so quickly easing into fall, there are still a few weeks left in rosé season, and since it's hot and sticky here today I am going full steam ahead with a 2023 Wines of Substance Ro Rosé that I recently picked up at Costco.  This wine is made from Syrah sourced from the Buckshot Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is pale peach color in the glass, ideal for a nice rosé.  The nose presents aromas of tart apple, grapefruit and a bit of honeysuckle, that has summer written all over it.  Take a sip and you have an interesting complex of smooth summer fruit flavor, melon, peach, strawberry and a hint of citrus that isn't nearly as pronounced as the nose would suggest.  The tannins are well hidden, providing for a smooth dry finish that is very different than you standard crisp finish of a rosé.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a lovely sipping wine that was also a terrific value at just $10.  This wine would pair well with summer evenings on the patio, caprese salad or lighter seafood dishes.  Tonight, I am making this a pure Pacific Northwest experience and enjoying this wine with a miso and sesame glazed wild Alaskan sockeye served with steamed rice and Italian pole beans I bought at the farmer's market.  Cheers!

2022 Seven Hills Columbia Valley Rosé

Happy Saturday!  We've been suffering through a real heatwave here, so what to do except enjoy some of the official wine of summer, rosé!  Tonight I've opened a bottle that was delivered a couple months back from one of my favorite Walla Walla wineries, Seven Hills.  The 2022 Seven Hills Columbia Valley Rosé is made from a blend of red varietals, but primarily Cabernet Franc.  So, let's see how this wine is shaping up for the summer!

The wine is a lovely salmon pink color in the glass, perhaps hinting at an ideal pairing.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of strawberry, peach and honeydew, readying your taste buds for a summer treat.  The first sip is just a rush of fresh fruit, strawberry, melon and a hint of granny smith apple that transition easily to some honeysuckle and a mineral notes midpalate.  The finish is crisp and dry, with a nice bit of acidity that will have this wine as a sure favorite with family and friends on the patio.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a really pleasing rosé that I can see myself enjoying all summer long.  This wine would pair well with a variety of summer salads, feta and roasted beets or sweet pickled cucumber, or some lighter seafood dishes, like cedar planked salmon or grilled octopus.  Tonight, I am enjoying this with a local summer favorite, panko crusted walleye with some wild rice and steamed asparagus.  Cheers! 

2023 DaMa Wines Grenache Blanc

Happy Easter!  It's been a wonderful day of celebration of the risen Christ and the culmination of the holiest week in Christendom, and I admit I've been cooking most of the day, starting with breakfast frittatas for the worship team at church, then when I got home I started preparing dinner, which cooked all afternoon (more on that in a moment).  Today is also the last Sunday of the month, which makes it Dinner in the Diner Sunday, and I picked a surprising recipe from the Missouri Pacific Railroad, which used to run behind my uncle's house when I was growing up.  As for the wine, I picked a nice white wine for this meal, one that I received last week in my wine club shipment from DaMa Wines, the 2023 Grenache Blanc.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a crazy pale gold color in the glass, making this a truly white wine!  A swirl of the glass reveals captivating aromas of ripe pear, honeysuckle and a hint of citrus.  The first sip has your mind racing to Asia, with a rush of sweet fruit, pear, white peach and hibiscus dancing around your palate, before easing into some modest minerality midpalate.  The finish is dry, crisp and refreshing, an ideal wine for sipping on the summer patio.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as even though I'm not a big white wine enthusiast, I'll make an exception for this one.  This wine would pair well with a variety of summer salads, Asian dishes, or lighter fish dishes like a roasted branzino.  Tonight, I am pairing this wine with a "Curry of Lamb, Indian Style" recipe from the Missouri Pacific Railroad dining car, though I took some liberty in braising lamb shanks with the curry broth, before adding some additional veggies and the coconut milk and rue to thicken this delicious sauces, served over steamed basmati rice and garnished with fresh pea tendrils.  Cheers!

2022 Underground Wine Project Mr. Pink Rosé

Happy day after St. Patrick's Day!  Despite what a long week I've had, I've decided to open a new bottle of wine to enjoy with my traditional dinner.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2022 Underground Wine Project Mr. Pink Rosé.  The Underground Wine Project was a collaboration between Mark McNeilly (Mark Ryan Winery) and Trey Busch and Jerry Solomon (of Sleight of Hand Cellars) who began this collaboration in 2009.  And here we are.  The 2022 Underground Wine Project Mr. Pink Rosé is a blend of Sangiovese (58%) and Syrah (42%) from the Columbia Valley of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a lovely pale peach color in the glass, just as you'd hope for an ideal summer rosé.  Take a whiff and you're greeted with aromas of peach, strawberry and honeysuckle that might trick your brain into expecting a sweeter wine.  Take a sip and the tropical fruit notes come right to the forefront, but then ease back to let some subtle floral notes of  jasmine and honeysuckle come forward, even as you experience some buttery notes reminiscent of Chardonnay.  The flavors come together for a wonderfully crisp dry finish with a reprise of floral at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a super pleasant drinking rosé, ideal for sipping on the patio this summer.  This wine would pair exceptionally well with salmon, fresh summer salad, particularly caprese or just plain hanging out with friends.  Tonight, I've paired this wine with my traditional St. Patrick's Day dinner of slow cooked corned beef, cabbage, carrots and potatoes along with some buttered soda bread.  Cheers!

2021 DaMa Wines Rose of Cabernet Franc

Happy Friday of a three-day weekend!  I have to admit, I've sort of eased into this weekend as I'm taking some vacation days next week, but still I'm looking forward to some wonderful meals and wines over the next few days!  To start things off, since the weather has been seasonably warm and humid, I've decided to open a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from DaMa Wines, the 2021 Rose of Cabernet Franc from the Columbia Valley of Washington.  Well, since rose season has started, whether officially or not, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a pale peach color in the glass, a somewhat lighter rose.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of peach, honeysuckle and just a hint of citrus that suggest tasteful refreshment for a warm summer day.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a basket of summer fruit, strawberry, peach, raspberry and citrus that are just right for the season.  The finish is crisp, dry and refreshing, just the right note to keep you coming back for more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a wonderfully refreshing rose for summer, and it's a terrific value at just $20.  This wine would pair well with summer salads, caprese salad, grilled vegetables or a wonderful cedar planked salmon.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some lobster bucatini, as the fruit and acidity in this wine are the ideal foil for the richness of the lobster cream sauce.  Cheers!

2020 Seven Hills Dry Rose

Happy Sunday!  It's been somewhat quiet here today, as I had the chance to do some chores around the house and just returned from a bike ride, but now it's time for a glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of wine from one of my favorite Washington wine makers, that I brought back from my vacation to Walla Walla, the 2020 Seven Hills Dry Rose from the Columbia Valley of Washington.  It certainly is rose season, so let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a lovely peach color in the glass, with a hint of pink at the edges, just what you might expect from a nice rose.  A quick swirl in the glass releases aromas of honeysuckle, soft citrus notes, and some nice mineral notes.  Take a sip and you are greeted with a taste of summer, with wonderful strawberry notes intermingled with grapefruit and watermelon, that will have you pining for the days of your childhood enjoying sweet, juicy fruits of summer in the back yard.  The tannins are soft and well structured for the crisp, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it just speaks to me as an ideal summer rose all around, and at $20 it's a terrific value as well.  This wine would pair well with a variety of summer dishes, from burgers and hot dogs, to classic barbecue, to light summer salads.  Tonight I am taking a different approach and enjoying this wine with another dinner on the patio, a creole spiced veal loin chop, along with some blistered Campari tomatoes and linguine tossed with asparagus and garlic scapes sautéed in olive oil and topped with shaved parmesan.  Cheers!

2015 DaMa Wines Rose of Cabernet Franc

Happy Memorial Day!  I always have mixed feelings about this holiday, as I like to honor those who've served our country in the military, but this also represents the first holiday of the summer, and hence the start of Rose season!  So today I've decided to open a bottle of 2015 DaMa Wines Rose of Cabernet Franc, an interesting little Rosa from the Walla Walla Valley of Washington.

The wine is a pale peach color in the glass, somewhat lighter than other roses I've had so far this year.  The nose presents aromas of cool citrus, grapefruit and a hint of strawberry and orange blossom.  The taste is quite soft, not the bright citrus acidity I was expecting, but rather some notes of honeysuckle, strawberry and a bit of olive.  The finish is quite nice, very dry and refreshing, just a bit of summer in a glass.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a very pleasant rose that is perfect for summer.  This wine would be great with a light summer salad for lunch, or as I'm enjoying it this first holiday of barbecue season, with some barbecued ribs, fresh cole slaw and corn on the cob!  Whooo hooo this summer is going to be awesome!

2014 Seven Hills Columbia Valley Dry Rose

Happy Easter!  Yeah, I know, Easter was two weeks ago, but given my hectic travel schedule over the last few weeks I've had to wait until today to have my traditional Easter ham!  And not only am I having to pair a wine with glazed ham, it's also beginning to feel a lot like springtime, so what better wine to open than a nice 2014 Seven Hills Columbia Valley Dry Rose?  This particular dry rose is a blend of Cabernet Franc (84%), Petite Verdot (8%) and Malbec (8%), making it somewhat more interesting than many rose blends I've seen.

The color of the wine is a nice pale peach color in the glass.  The nose expresses an interesting combination of citrus notes, along with some white floral notes and a bit of peach.  The taste is delightful, with a crisp blast of fruit up front, plenty of grapefruit and tropical notes of papaya that give way to some honeysuckle and mineral notes of limestone midpalate.  The finish is crisp, refreshing and bone dry, perfect for sipping on the patio on a cool summer evening, which I can see myself doing a lot this summer!

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a terrific dry rose wine, ideal for the summer months and a perfect complement to the sweetness of my glazed ham dinner.  The wine is also a great value at $17, but even more so with the wine club discount!  As mentioned, tonight I'm enjoying this one with a classic, though belated Easter dinner of glazed ham, cheesy potatoes and of course, green bean casserole!  The only thing better than this will be the left overs, ham sandwiches for lunch this week!  Cheers!