Cracklin’ Rosé, get on board

Since summer seems to finally be upon us (fingers crossed), I thought I would review a wine that reminded me of long days, hot weather and sitting out on the patio on a warm evening. I immediately thought of something cold – I mean who wants to drink a room temperature beverage when it’s 80+ degrees outside? Not me, certainly. After a conversation with my BFF, Kat, about Viognier, I thought I might hunt a good one down and give it a go. But I went to three stores and nothing jumped out at me, so I decided to hold off. And when Tim and I were invited to a BBQ at Brian and Hillary’s house in the burbs, I peeked into our wine cellar and was drawn to the 2008 Boeger Vin Rosé I picked up nearly a year ago. It seemed the perfect fit for an evening hanging out with friends in the backyard. I grabbed the bottle and we were on our way.

By the time we made it to Orinda, the weather had cooled off a bit. And I mean, let’s get real, this is the Bay Area, it never really gets HOT. Even so, it was warm enough to still feel refreshed by the rosé. I popped it opened and immediately began enjoying it with some cheese and cherries Hillary set out as an appetizer.

The Boeger rosé comes from El Dorado County, a rapidly-growing wine growing region in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. This particular rosé was a blend of Barbera – an Italian varietal known for its intense fruit and tannins – and Mourvedre – a strong, dark red wine that is typical of rosés.

The wine looked beautiful in the glass, with a darker pinkish-salmon color that resembled fresh watermelon. Its healthy legs coated the glass nicely, giving it a somewhat creamy texture. Anticipating the chilly crispness of the wine, I stuck in my nose and breathed deeply. With very strong apricot notes, citrus undertones and just a slight hint of cinnamon, this rosé was looking promising. I had a few more nibbles from the cheese plate and went in for the taste.

Even with a slightly creamy mouth feel, the wine was incredibly dry and crisp. It was fruity, but not overly sweet and in fact, the tart apricot and stone fruit flavors showed mostly on the front palate, while the back palate had a somewhat bitter taste – kind of like cough syrup. Interestingly enough, that wasn’t a bad thing. It actually added to the complexity of the wine, giving it a lingering finish and a robustness that pleased me. Overall, it was strong, but not too strong. Some might say toned and defined, but not bulky. Just the way I like it.

Proving its versatility, this rosé continued to pair nicely with the cheese and fruit, but also worked just as well with the delicious tri-tip and Israeli couscous salad Hillary and Brian prepared. I even continued drinking it well into the dessert course – an amazing strawberry shortcake.

This was definitely a wine I would drink again. I guess that’s obvious since this was my second time drinking it. But its strong, robust qualities, which give it the ability to stand on its own, in addition to its versatility and easy accompaniment with food, definitely make it one of my go-to wines for the summer. It is best served chilled (perfect for hot days and warm nights) and its crisp, dry nature makes it a good friend to light and heavy fare alike. And with a little bit of sunshine, this rosé comes up roses.

Amy Award: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
Spendy Scale: $15
Best bet: A backyard BBQ or a summer afternoon with friends

Pinot-thing compares to you

I have to apologize to my faithful followers (ha!) – I have been a bit MIA lately. We have been out of town the last two weekends, which means we’ve been busy, busy, busy. We spent Memorial Day weekend at Lake Berryessa celebrating the 30th birthday of our friend Jocelyn. Obviously a slave to a theme like me, Jocelyn figured a weekend at the lake demanded the appropriate type of booze – PBR and two-buck Chuck. That’s right, over the course of two days, we knocked back our fair share of Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon. And if y’all are lucky, I may blog about Charles Shaw Cab and its amazing ability to pair so nicely with homemade chocolate cake in a later post. Stay tuned for that…

Last weekend, we kicked off wedding season with back-to-back weddings in Sonoma County. On Friday, we celebrated the nuptials of my step-sister Brianna and her husband Brandon at the lovely Estate Restaurant in Sonoma. I started with bubbles since I love the festive and fun nature of champagne, especially at weddings. Plus, the champagne went so well with the oysters they were serving. I decided to stick with the bubbles (and lots of them) for the remainder of the evening – a decision that has made it impossible to review what I was drinking. I think you know what I mean. For what it’s worth, I do remember it was delicious.

On Saturday, we attended the wedding of our good friends Robert and Emily with a beautiful ceremony at Griffith Woods along the Russian River and an equally stunning reception at the Rancho Wikiup in Santa Rosa. Again, I started with sparkling wine because, again, we were having oysters. And again, it was a wedding and well, I just can’t help myself. But the couple had picked out a couple of wines that reflected both their tastes and the places they have lived (or want to live) over the years. One of those wines was a 2007 Octavia Pinot Noir from the Central Coast – a nod to San Luis Obispo, where the two met. Not knowing much about Pinots, and not yet having reviewed a Pinot Noir on the blog, I thought I would give it a taste and review, so Robert and Emily kindly let me take a bottle home after the wedding.

Pinot Noir is best suited to cooler, foggy appellations because the grapes bud and ripen early, and the longer the berries can stay on the vine before becoming too ripe, the more complex the resulting wine will be. So the Central Coast is a great place to grow this varietal because of its temperate climate and coastal influence. I tasted a few Pinots while living in San Luis Obispo, but I have to say, my knowledge of Central Coast wines in general is a little slim, so I was looking forward to getting a taste of one of the varietals that has made the region so famous.

I opened the Octavia last night and let it breath for quite a while before tasting. I immediately noticed its color – a deep, dark scarlet red, almost garnet. It was slightly translucent, which made me think that it would not be as heavy a wine as some. Without a trained palate for Pinots, I didn’t know what to expect in tasting the wine. Although I have to say I was a bit surprised when I stuck my nose in the glass. Right away I smelled a faint hint of jamminess, but soon that was overpowered by strong notes of bacon and mustiness. The more I swirled and sniffed, the more I got cured meats, like salami, bologna and even hot dogs(!) on the nose. Honestly, the more it opened up, the more it smelled like Oscar Mayer. Interestingly enough, however, that didn’t turn me off. One of my guilty pleasures is hot dogs, so admittedly, I got a little excited. And if a wine could smell so much like a Ball Park Frank, what would it taste like? I was about to find out.

The wine itself was definitely savory and carried through it the theme of cured meats, although not as strongly as on the nose. Not a very tannic wine, this Pinot was light and smooth, with a soft finish. The front palate showed more hints of fruit – I would say rhubarb – while the middle and back palate had a bit of earthiness to it. It wasn’t particularly complex or structured, but it wasn’t boring either. It was a very approachable, drinkable wine that would be easy to pair with food. In fact, we enjoyed it with turkey burgers and it complemented the meal just fine. Overall, I liked this wine. I would describe it as nice, light, easy, and simple – a nice introduction to Central Coast Pinot Noir, and a pleasant way to both remember our life in SLO and to celebrate Robert and Emily’s amazing wedding.

Amy Award: 3 stars (out of 5)
Spendy Scale: $18
Best Bet: A light summer meal or a beautiful Rancho-style wedding