I am really excited about the new tasting room about to open at Swanson Vineyards in Napa Valley. Sure, they’re known for Merlot, and for the elegant Salon wine tasting experience. That’s an intimate sit down tasting, paired with caviar and chocolates. Super luxe, right? But it’s also limited to groups of 8, a couple times a day. What if you want to stop by and try a few bottlings? Up until now, you were SOL. Although they’re not taking text reservations (not yet anyway!), soon you’ll be able to phone up and stop in at the new Sip Shop. The bright red and white striped room is whimsical and fun. Not your average tasting room!

Here you can sip flights of Swanson’s wine, paired with some small bites. One signature pairing will be the Swanson Pinot Grigio matched with American caviar on a potato chip. Mmmm. Opening is planned for June 1st. Yes you do have to call ahead, as tastings are by appointment only. Calling on your way there qualifies. There will be a fee for tasting, from $14-$28 per tasting. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, I joined a group of wine writers and bloggers in a tasting led by winemaker Chris Phelps. He’s tweaked the blends since joining the winery in 2003, and you can taste the results in the 2005 and 2007 Merlot and 2007 “Alexis” Cab, which show lots of fruit and finesse. The ’08 Cab in barrel is lush and should develop quite nicely.

The Merlots fall into the description “iron fist in a velvet glove” and have a voluptuous mouth feel, full of lots of ripe black fruits. The Pinot Grigio is a beautiful wine for sipping on the warm days of summer. The rice body comes from time spent on the lees. The perfect ending – a glass of the 2005 “ Tardif,” a late harvest Chardonnay.
Our tasting took place in the Salon, and as you can see, it’s a beautiful space, with high ceilings and bright coral walls. Here’s the TV story we did about it for In Wine Country.

http://www.inwinecountry.com/?cat=7274242&subcat=5901916&video=243

Recession worries seemed to fade as wine lovers opened their wallets and raised paddles bidding up the prices at the 30th Auction Napa Valley, held over this past weekend. There was lots of good food and great wine flowing throughout the event. I went to the Taste Napa Valley and Barrel Auction on Friday, at Rubicon Estates. I love this annual event, and it’s a great one to go to even if you don’t make it to the live auction on Saturday. Dark skies and cool temps threatened rain, but it held off.

At Taste Napa Valley, wineries pour whites and rose´and many of Napa’s top restaurants dished out bites.

You could nosh on anything from chickpea fries to pulled pork sliders from BarBersQ and watermelon sorbet with chocolate chips (for seeds!), topped with fleur de sel. Martini House served up a creamy mushroom soup that was an inspired pairing with the Kongsgaard “The Judge” Chardonnay. Check out this incredible paella, from Zuzu in Napa.

What I really noticed was that there were many more wineries pouring Rose´ than in past years. No complaints here, I love Rose´especially this time of year. Some of the best I tasted were from Entre Nous, (a Cab rose´) where Philippe Melka is the winemaker, and Louis M. Martini, also a Rose´of Cab.

The real excitement was inside the caves at Rubicon, where the live barrel auction was taking place. As you can see, it was jammed-packed, as people went from barrel to barrel, sampling and bidding.

Opening bids on the barrel lots started at $175 per case with the minimum increments of $50. In about 15 minutes time, I saw the Shafer Vineyards lot go from $5700 to $6000 (and yes, that’s for one case).
Updating the Shafer bids.

If you think that’s a lot, the final bid on the Shafer lot, the 2008 Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon, went for $58,650. Amazing! The second highest bid was $37,700 for the Spottswoode Estate lot, a St. Helena Cab.

At the end of the weekend, when all was said and done, more than $8.5 million was raised, with $1 million coming from the barrel auction alone. All proceeds benefit
health, youth services and housing non-profits in Napa County.

Sure, Kunde has a tasting room, and you can stand at the bar, or sign up for a seated reserve tasting. But the best way to experience Kunde is to get out of the tasting room for one of the best views of Sonoma wine country.

Fourth generation family winegrower Jeff Kunde’s always thinking of what’s next. I met up with him at the winery to see his latest project, the Mountain Top Tasting. It was Jeff’s idea to create this, by clearing out dense brush on a spot that offers spectacular views. We drive through the vineyards while going up higher and higher, until we’re there, at about 1400 ft in the Mayacamas Mountains. You pass through a rustic gate, walk down a path, and then suddenly, there’s a 180-degree view of the Sonoma Valley. Breathtaking? It’s beyond. Take a moment to enjoy the view:

Jeff says that seeing the valley this way helps his visitors get a real lay of the land. As you taste several wines here you can also see the particular vineyard where the grapes were grown. Kunde is known for Zinfandel, and you see the 100+ year old vines down below you.

You could spend all day here, and Jeff says sometimes he has a hard time getting visitors to leave. I understand. I could sit there all day with a glass of Zin and be very very happy.

You’ll need a reservation for the Mountain Top tasting, which for now is offered on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The cost is $25 per person, which I have to say, is very reasonable.

But that’s not all. Kunde also offers two more out-of-the-tasting room experiences: an Eco-Hike and a Hike & Taste in the Vineyards.  Many of the Eco-Hikes, which are about 3 miles long through the Kunde ranch and vineyards (about 4 hours) are also Dog Hikes. Kunde has got to be the most dog-friendly winery around – they’ve got plenty of doggie snacks and a water bar for the dogs (of course there’s lunch and water for the dog walkers and owners, with a little wine tasting). Plus, a portion of the hike tour fee is donated to Canine Companions and the Sonoma County Humane Society. Another bonus – Jeff Kunde leads many of the Eco- and Dog Hikes. How many winery owners do you know who spend four hours with visitors? Pretty cool.

Since wine can be made anywhere these days, it’s no big surprise that Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda, CA (also known as the East Bay) are home to many urban wine brands, both established and start ups. So what if there are no vineyards in the city (that I’m aware of).  At this past weekend’s Urban Wine Experience in Oakland, the local wines were showing rather well, paired with bites from local restaurants. The public event was held by the East Bay Vintner’s Alliance.

I found a lot to like, and some really good values. There were many good Rhone varietal bottlings, and that made me happy, since j’adore Rhone wines. I might just need to do a little East Bay Rhone wine tour.

These are the standouts:

One of my last sips of the day was at Stage Left Cellars. It’s a fairly new player in the urban wine scene. Partners Melinda Doty and Rich Williams exited the corporate world and discovered “everybody needs an exit strategy.” Opening Stage Left is theirs. “The Go Getter” white is a blend of Rhone varietals – Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Rousanne. Just yummy, refreshing and very aromatic. They also make a beautiful Grenache, blended with a little Mourvedre to make a fruity wine with a little spiciness added in.

At Prospect 772 Wine Co. they were pouring “The Brawler.” Oh yeah, its a big big Syrah, but tamed a little by the addition of Viognier in the blend. The grapes are grown in the Sierra Foothills, and the wines are made by Jeff Cohn (winemaker at JC Cellars).

Speaking of Jeff Cohn, his own label, JC Cellars , poured “First Date,” a terrific and rich Rousanne and Marsanne blend.  “The Imposter,” was a bold blend of mostly Zinfandel, Syrah and Petite Sirah.

Rock Wall Wine’s Cabernet France was so fragrant and jammy, just a beautiful wine.  I love to see Cab Franc on its own.

Urban Legend wines have great labels, inspired by the cranes at the Oakland port. They have a good Sauvignon Blanc that’s crisp and has really bright acidity. They also make a Teroldego, a darkly hued red varietal from Italy that has big ripe black fruits. Definitely worth seeking out!

Over at R & B Cellars, owners Kevin and Barbara Brown are not only winemakers, they’re also jazz musicians. Kevin plays piano and Barbara sings. Hence the wine labels with musical symbols. They’re striking the right notes with a very nice “Serenade in Blanc” Sauvignon Blanc and “Swingsville” Zinfandel, and both are less than $15 dollars each.

Verve wines from Aubin Cellars really charmed me. They’ve got a French Columbard, imported from France (Cotes de Gascogne). When have you ever seen French Columbard? Well it should be more often.  This is a great value too, at $12. Verve also makes wine with local grapes, a Carneros Pinot Noir and a Sonoma Mountain Syrah.

One final mention, loved the “Temptation” Rhone blend from Carica Wines, which is a GSM – Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre mix. And only $25 per bottle. No wonder the winery is sold out of the current vintage (I did find some bottles online)

There were many, many good bites to go with the wines. But the one that stood out the most for me was the pulled pork sandwich and grits from Brown Sugar Kitchen. Fabulous! And a perfect match with the Urban Legend red wines. If you haven’t

been to Brown Sugar, just go ahead and go now, for their fried chicken and waffles!

Most of the East Bay Vintner’s wineries have tasting rooms — either shared or on their own.  Check websites for days and hours open or to make an appointment.  Think of going to the urban wineries as exploring a new, modern wine country.

This may be the winery tasting room opening of the year.  Raymond Vineyards, in Napa Valley, has partnered with the legendary French crystal maker Baccarat, to create a one-of-a-kind tasting room, the Crystal Cellar.

It’s pretty awesome.  Granted, I was at the soiree to celebrate opening the Crystal Cellar. The atmosphere was like a sophisticated night club. Mirrors everywhere – on the tasting bar and display cases.  A stunning crystal chandelier, the focal point of the cellar. A mannequin hanging from a trapeze.  Lots of colorful mood lighting.  Display cases with Baccarat wine decanters, glasses, and other decorative objects.

I have seen the cellar during the daytime, when it’s much more subdued, but equally brilliant.

The pairing of a winery and crystal manufacturer is nothing new, but this is the first collaboration for Baccarat with a winery.  The inspiration comes from Jean-Charles Boisset, who is head of Boisset Family Estates.  Boisset bought the Raymond winery  in August 2009, setting its sights on improving the wine quality and developing a unique wine tasting experience.  This is Boisset’s first Napa Valley aquisition.  They also own DeLoach Vineyards in Sonoma County, and recently opened Taste of Terroir, a wine tasting room on the square in Healdsburg.

Jean-Charles told me he starting collecting Baccarat at the tender age of 11.  You can imagine he’s got a large collection now.  He approached Baccarat about a partnership with Raymond.  Makes, perfect sense, both Boisset and Baccarat are rooted in France, and Baccarat creates beautiful decanters and glassware.

I can’t wait to take friends wine tasting in the Crystal Cellar.  You don’t need to make a reservation, but there is a $25 tasting fee.  What they’re pouring:  the Raymond Vineyards District Cabernet Sauvignon series, including the 2006 Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena wines, the ’06 Generations, a 2009 barrel sample of a barrel fermented Chardonnay, and a 1987 Napa Valley Cab. This last wine was poured at the opening event, and I found it to still have fruit and a floral nose, and soft tannins.

If you get to Paris, you should plan to go to the Baccarat museum.  The crystal collection is amazing.  The galleries and restaurant were designed by Philippe Stark (reason enough to go).  The display cases are filled with both vintage and modern works.

This year I’m gonna shake things up a bit.  I’ll be pouring a sweet wine for the main event and not just for dessert.

I’m inspired by Aline Baly, a champion of drinking what most of us consider to be dessert wines, from the beginning to the end of the meal.  Aline’s family is the proprietor of Chateau Coutet in Barsac, a sub-district of the Sauternes region in the southern part of Bordeaux.  Chateau Couter is a Premier Cru Classe Sauturnes.  That’s all they make.

Last time Aline was in the San Francisco Bay Area, she invited me to join her for lunch at Wood Tavern in Oakland (one of my fav restaurants).  To demonstrate how versatile her Sauternes wines are, we ordered straight off the menu, with no changes or special requests.  I have to say I was pretty dubious.  Sure Sauternes is a great match with Roquefort, but what about pulled pork?

With glasses of the ’06 and ’03 Chateau Coutet, first up, burrata & proscuitto di Parma, with roasted peaches (yum), citrus oil and a Madeira glaze.  Aline set expectations…pairing wine with a fresh burrata can be risky.  Yes, but worth the risk, it really works.  What makes it work is the creaminess of the cheese and the rich body of the wine.  Plus the citrus helps bring out the dried fruits in the wine, and a minerality and ginger notes also are punched up.  The saltiness of the proscuitto is a nice contrast to the wine’s sweetness.

You’d think a creamy tomato soup, with shrimp and avocado might get lost in the mix.  The sweetness of the Sauternes works nicely with the sweetness of the tomatoes and shrimp.  Talking body again, the rich avocado works with the sweet, syrupy wine.

Next, a crispy pork shoulder confit sandwich (aka pulled pork), and a hot pastrami sandwich.  I would never think to pair a sweet wine with either of these.  A big Zin or a hoppy beer wold be my choice.  The ’03, with more complex flavors developed, handled these spicy dishes just fine.  While a pan roasted chicken dish didn’t seem like too much of a stretch, the grilled radicchio with it could be challenging.  But the smoky notes of the ’03 was a great match.

Now I’m a believer.

Aline’s motto is “when in doubt, bring Sauternes.”

OK, but there must be something that is a total clash with Sauternes.  Chocolate cake.  Aline says that’s usually too rich for her sweet wines.

Aline’s last suggestion is to serve Sauternes, preferably Chateau Coutet, for Thanksgiving.  Had I not just tasted this wine with a variety of savory dishes, I’d scoff at that suggestion.  Now I’m thinking brilliant.  She’s got a Thanksgiving menu on her website, and says her favorite pairing is with the butternut squash and Gorgonzola gratin.  That’s what I’m making.

You’ve probably heard of Chateau d’Yquem, the most famous of all Sauternes.  It’s liquid gold in a bottle and it’s super super pricey.  You’ll find the current vintage of Chateau Coutet, the 2007, for about $25-$30 for a half bottle (375 ml) and $50-$60 for a full bottle (750 ml).

So it’s not too late…grab a bottle of two of a Sauternes for Thanksgiving.  This could become your new wine tradition for the holidays.

23 wineries now call Oakland and surrounding areas home.  This is more than a trend, not only  in Oakland, but around the country. City Winery is in New York City.  Boedecker is in Portland and Henke is in Cincinnati.  While the labels may have appellations from Napa Valley to Long Island to the Willamette Valley, the grapes are brought into a downtown setting to be made into wine.

Part of the attraction for vintners going urban is cost.  They don’t have vineyards, and downtown industrial space can be a lot less expensive than a small plot in Napa or Sonoma.  What you do find is real passion and talent for winemaking.  Most urban wineries make small lots, but it’s the wine they want to make, and drink.  The tasting rooms are accessible to a wider population too.  Imagine taking the subway to a winery.  You can in New York. Urban wineries are changing the landscape, so to speak, and definition of wine country.

The East Bay Vintners Alliance hosted a passport wine tasting on Saturday.  Pay one fee, drink at all the tasting rooms.  I’ve had many of these wines, but not in their urban setting. Since many vintners pour together, passport tastings are a good way to sample many wines under one roof.  These are some of the wineries and wines worth seeking out.

It’s not an urban legend, it’s a winery. Urban Legend Cellars was my first stop, where about 5 wineries were pouring. Their labels are fun, showing the cranes in the Oakland port that look like something out of Star Wars. They source grapes and bring them here where they crush and make the wine. The Sauvignon Blanc is zippy and lively, the Grenache is soft and fruity.

Stomping Girl Wines makes three single vineyard Pinots; the best one to me is the Sonoma Coast bottling, rich and brooding.  Asked about making wine in an urban setting, Stomping Girl Kathryn Cohen says, “we started in an urban environment, in our garage.  We didn’t think about going outside of Oakland.”

At Dashe and JC Cellars, where these two wineries share a warehouse space for tasting rooms and winery, more vintners were pouring.  I went straight to Stage Left Cellars, where a crowd was waiting to try their Viognier and red Rhone varietals.  Their motto is “everyone needs an exit stragy,” and owner Melinda Doty left a career in sales and marketing to create Stage Left.

You had to be in the know to score Eno Wines “secret stash” of 2002 Zinfandel.  ”Caught red handed” is made from old vines in Dry Creek Valley, and is full bodied, spicy and jammy.

These urban wineries are all close to each other, so you don’t have to do a lot of driving between them. This tasting had a party bus to shuttle participants between wineries.  I did see a police car sitting outside of one tasting room, ready to nab anyone who was under the influence.  That’s why you spit, and don’t swallow.

Cerruti Cellars is right on the railroad tracks.  It’s an edgy and and industrial setting that feels modern, a perfect reflection of urban wine country.  They put the finishing touches on this new tasting room this week.  I love the light fixtures – and found out that the folks at Cerruti made them.  

Oh yeah, the wines are pretty good too, made by Kirk Venge.

Andrew Lane Wines is also pouring at Cerruti.  Adoring fans are lined up to taste what winemaker Andrew Dickson is pouring.  I’m lucky enough to get the last drops of Boxing Girl Chardonnay.  ”It’s my wife’s wine,” he says, “she’s tough.”  It’s a good, unoaked Chardonnay.  David Dickson, Andrew’s father, launched the winery, naming it for his two sons, Andrew and Lane. They like fruit forward wines, which is evident when you taste both the Chardonnay and the Petite Sirah.

Last stop for me was at Rock Wall Wine Company, on the former Naval Air Base in Alemeda.  You can’t beat the setting, with views of San Francisco across the bay.  Rock Wall will be opening a new tasting room here, with a grand opening for the public on May 14 and 15.

While Rock Wall is known for Zinfandel, they make a very nice late harvest Riesling.  A perfect wine for sipping while sitting outside in the urban landscape that is now wine country.

Cork comes from Cork Oak trees, and Portugal is the largest producer of cork worldwide.  There’s the ongoing debate about cork being the best closure for wine bottles.  It gets points for being sustainable and biodegradable, and for allowing a little air into wine to help it age.  Downsides include cork taint,  trichloroanisole (TCA), and over time, cork can dry out and often crumbles when when you try to pull it out of an older bottle of wine.

You know you can recycle wine bottles (and if you don’t, Earth Day on April 22 is a good time to start).  You may not know that you can also recycle corks, but you can.  And I’m not talking about home crafting them into coasters or bulletin boards.

ReCORK by Amorim claims to have recycled 14,568,152 corks since they started their program in 2007.  They get corks from wineries, restaurants and individuals.  Used corks are ground up to be used in products ranging from floors to sporting equipment to shoes.  WineFashionistas should check out shoes being made with cork by SOLE.

The Cork Forest Conservation Alliance (CFCA) advocates the protection and preservation of cork forests.  CFCA began its recycling program, Cork ReHarvest, in 2008.  They have collection boxes at grocers, wine shops and winery tasting rooms.  Recycled cork does not go back into wine bottles, but instead is turned into insulation, cork bobbers for the fishing industry and other consumer products.

For Earth Day 2011, Kendall-Jackson Estate Winery in Sonoma County takes a stylish approach to recycling cork.  The winery donated 1.75 million corks to Anthropologie, a sustainable-minded fashion retailer.  You’re probably thinking what in the world would Anthropologie do with all those corks.

Anthropologie’s display project manager Erika Sorgule came across a cork recycle box at Whole Foods, one of Cork ReHarvest’s boxes from the CFCA. She was inspired to find a way for Anthropologie to contribute to saving cork forests and educating the public about recycling cork.  Thus, the display windows full of artwork made from used corks.

Kendall-Jackson says they donated the corks because Anthropologie is a very progressive company.   Robert Boller, vice-president of sustainability for K-J says, “When I look at their ANTHROPOLOGist website I can see the similarity of our philosophies. We don’t want to be the only sustainable company, we want to share our experiences, positive and negative, to inspire others and create a ripple effect from our efforts.”

You can see those corks in action now in window displays at all 153 Anthropologie stores in the US, Canada and the United Kingdom.  Colorful artwork made of painted corks is the backdrop for mannequins in head-to-toe Anthropologie outfits.  Kendall-Jackson wasn’t involved in the display designs.  “Our artistic skills are limited to making wine,” says Robert Boller.  “Anthropologie’s window designs are amzaing and it’s been a treat to just sit back and watch them work their magic with corks!”

I checked out the windows at Santana Row store in San Jose, CA.  If you didn’t know, you can’t tell right away that the display art is made of cork.  Get closer and you can see the many corks and how they’re painted and cut and arranged.  Too bad there’s no signage explaining the windows and the cork recycling project.  These displays are on view now through the end of May.

What happens with the corks after the displays come down? K-J and Anthropologie say the corks will be recycled by Cork ReHarvest into other products.  There may be an auction of the cork displays, with proceeds going to help CFCA efforts.

I love this pairing of wine and fashion and hope other wineries will look for creative ways to recycle cork.

You too can get involved by saving your used corks.  You can take the corks to a collection center near you.  In San Jose I can drop off my corks at Whole Foods Market. You can send used corks to ReCORK, but they suggest you wait until you’ve collected 15 pounds of cork (get your friends to pitch in).  Yemm & Hart encourages consumers to ship their used wine and Champagne corks to them for a line of cork floor tiles.

Encourage your local wine bar, retailers, and your friends and family to get in on the act.  Corks have a second and third life, and it’s a shame any end up in a landfill.

I love the Santa Cruz Mountains wine country, which is between San Francisco and Santa Cruz.  It’s a beautiful and diverse region, with small wineries producing really great wine.  You can try many of the region’s wines at two upcoming events.

Bonnets & Blooms, Saturday, May 21, 3-6 pm. The Saratoga Village Wine Stroll is an event tailor-made for  Wine Fashionistas. Put on your biggest, floppiest hat and taste wine as you stroll this charming town.  Shops and restaurants will be hosting Santa Cruz Mountains wineries, and there will be gourmet food, music and art along the way.

The Santa Cruz Mountains Vintners’ Festival.  This annual event runs over two weekends.  The first weekend is the southern part of the appellation, and the second weekend is the central and northern areas.  Many wineries not open to the public host open houses, and all wineries are pouring something special.  You’ll also find restaurants hosting several wineries under one roof.  This is a great time to try the wines while meeting the winemakers; some locations will have live entertainment and food.  There’s a total of 38 locations with 42 wineries participating in the event.  I’ve already got my route planned out for each weekend.

Auction Napa Valley.  This is the wine event of the year.  Tickets are already sold out, but you should keep an eye out for news from the auction floor.  Some say how high the bids go is a barometer of the economy.  The Auction takes place June 2-5. Wineries host parties and dinners, and the main event takes place at Meadowood Napa Valley.  If you plan to go to Napa that weekend, be aware the valley will be extra crowded.

Now it’s not fair to Rose´ to clump it into a one size fits all description. After all there’s a vast range of styles, including sparkling wine, that you’d gloss right over. I’m not talking about the slightly sweet “blush” wine that is white Zinfandel. Sure, that wine has its place, and I wouldn’t turn down a glass on a sweltering summer day where barbeque is on the menu. You can actually make a dry Rose´of Zinfandel that’s nothing like its sweet sibling.

One of my favorite wine tasting events is “Pink Out,” put on by a group of Rose´diehards, the Rose´Avengers & Producers (RAP). Imagine walking into a room of only pink wine. Yes, it’s fabulous.  Add in all the pink outfits, and you’re seeing the world through Rose´ colored wine glasses.  The Rose´ in those glasses just happens to run the color spectrum of pink, from pale, shimmery copper to salmon, rose, hot pink and magenta.

I love finding wines that are delicious and that also have great stories behind the label.  At Lorenza, the story is actually on the label.  Mother-daughter team Melinda Kearney and and Michele Ouellet make this one wine.  That’s Michele on the label, perhaps one of the first fashion models to ever grace a bottle of wine.  Michele models all over the world, but she also makes wine.  This Rose´ is a blend of grape varieties common to southern France, but grown in Lodi, CA.  Michele’s also the face of the winery’s Twitter and Facebook sites and you can follow her jaunts to various modeling assignments, and when she’s back in the vineyard.

The wine bottles at Dunstan have a horseshoe on the label, turned up, so that luck doesn’t run out.  On the Rose´ label, the horseshoe is pink.  The winery owners found an old horseshoe as they were planting a vineyard block.  That led to the icon for the winery, and also the name.  According to legend, a blacksmith named Dunstan made a deal with the devil to stay out of places where an upturned horseshoe hangs over the door.  This wine is a Rose´ of Pinot Noir, and the grapes come from the coveted Durell Vineyard in Sonoma County.  In fact, Dunstan vintner Ellie Phipps Price owns the Durell Vineyard, and also sells grapes to other boutique wine labels.  The horseshoe icon for Dunstan is fitting as Price loves horses and is involved in efforts to rescue wild horses.

One winery was pouring its Rose´ debut.  Midsummer Cellars (a perfect label for Rose´don’t you think?) makes only Cabernet Sauvignon.  Owner Rollie Heitz contemplated making a Rose´ for years, and finally did it in the 2010 vintage.  But he didn’t use Cabernet grapes, he blended Grenache, a red grape that makes an appearance in many pink wines, with Viognier, a white grape.  The result is a Rose´ that’s a little richer, and more floral than most.  I’ve not seen this blend, and as a Viognier lover I have to give Midsummer a big thumbs up.

Up to this point, all the Rose´ wines at Pink Out retail between $18 and $28, and none of them had any oak aging.  In fact, you rarely talk about aging and Rose´; it’s a wine meant to be drunk young.  At Chateau d’Esclans, they turn that notion on its head.  The French winery, in the Cotes de Provence region (southern France is pink wine’s spiritual home), not only ages the wine in oak barrels, they also charge $80 for their top bottling, “Garrus.”  If this is not the most expensive Rose´on the market, then it’s gotta be in the top three.

Only three barrels of it are made each year (one barrel is 25 cases of wine; three barrels is 75 cases of wine, or 900 bottles). D’Esclans produces four levels of Rose´, with complexity and price rising for each.  “Whispering Angel” is a blend of grapes, with no oak, and sells for $20.  I found it on a by-the-glass wine list at dinner later that night.  Garrus, on the other hand, is made from 80 year old Grenache and Rolle vines.  This wine is aged in oak barrels for eight months.  The creamy texture on this wine comes from sitting on the lees (dead yeast) in the barrel, and getting stirred up together every so often.  That’s a technique called battonage, more common in Chardonnay.  Some people at Pink Out compared this wine to a French White Burgundy.  Garrus a seductive wine, and I’m smitten.