Vineyard Dogs

National Dog Day was August 26. In celebration we're sharing some of our favorite vineyard dogs. After all, dogs are traditionally man's (and woman's!) best friend, and we like to think wine is too. 

---

Tablas Creek: Located just west of Paso Robles in California's beautiful Central Coast, Tablas Creek farms organically and received their organic certification in 2003. Much of the vineyard uses Biodynamic techniques, including a herd of sheep, alpacas and donkeys. These friendly dogs try to keep their other four legged friends in line, as well as welcome visitors to the vineyard. 

Domaine Alain Gras:  over 12 hectares, primarily located in St. Romain, Domaine Alain Gras produces beautiful whites and reds. 

Alain and his two dogs

Ernesto Catena Vineyards: Fourth generation winemaker Ernesto Catena founded Ernesto Catena Vineyards in Argentina to truly make art. Both the farm and vineyard are biodynamic, allowing for plenty of friendly farm animals and dogs. 

Hamilton Russell Vineyards: Hamilton Russell Vineyards is known for making some of the best wines South Africa has to offer. Owners Olive and Anthony also have some of the best dogs South Africa has to offer. 

Chamonix: Deep in the wine growing region of Franschhoek in the Western Cape of South Africa, Chamonix makes well-respected wines. Winemaker Thinus Neethling has a beautiful dog that makes an appearance at the vineyard from time to time. 

Week in Review: August 14

Sales Rep Spotlight: Rosé Cookout

Rosé is THE drink of the summer. As we've mentioned before, a good rule of thumb for pairing Rosés with food is to remember "Pink & Provençal". Easy enough since that describes Rosé itself. 

Our sales rep Patrick Harney used that advice when he hosted a Rosé Cookout for Bacchus Importers' Maryland Sales Team. Read more from Patrick to learn how and why he came up with the idea, why he thinks Rosé is so popular, and some of his favorite recipes to pair with Rosé.

"Summertime for me means summer camp.  I think about how my kids learn in summer camp versus how they learn in school and sometimes I wonder whether the experiential learning they enjoy at camp isn’t more effective than the methods employed by their schools.  There’s a lot to be said about making a point experientially.  Too often we stand in front of our wholesale sales teams and deliver Powerpoint presentations chock full of features and benefits in hopes that as a result, sales will magically increase.  When Beth Kostelnik  (my then Brand Manager at Bacchus) told me I should have a rosé dinner and take lots of pictures and put them on social media, I thought what a terrific idea that was...even though I am seriously social media challenged.  I later decided to expand on that idea and make the sales team at Bacchus a Rosé-centric lunch.  I thought the team could benefit from how wonderfully Rosé works with Provence-inspired dishes and thus be able to share the experience with their retail and restaurant customers.

The dishes were all adaptations from Richard Olney’s Provence cookbook--a really terrific book full of pictures and easy to follow recipes.  I did most of the prep at home on Thursday evening.  On Friday, grilling commenced out near the loading dock while the sales team went into their meeting.  Once done, everything was set up buffet style in the kitchen, the sales team served themselves and we shared lunch together back in the sales room.  I started the discussion by sharing some of the latest IRI data clearly showing the incredible growth of both the Rosé category and many Vineyard Brands’ Rosés in particular.  After tossing some numbers around I explained why I chose the dishes to be served and the geographic and cultural ties that Rosé had to Provençal cuisine.  The discussion turned to more of roundtable forum discussing favorite Rosés and specific food pairings.  We, of course, talked a lot about food…who, in our business, doesn’t love to eat?  We came around to how casually but effectively Rosé is able to pair with all kinds of food in general and how maybe that’s the real reason behind the incredible growth of this type of wine.

Many years ago,  I attended an organized Pinot Gris and white varietals tasting conducted by Erath of Oregon. The tasting used various samples of food to illustrate the versatility of Pinot Gris, how it is able to pair with cheese, vegetables, protein, etc. It was very well done and their point was effectively made.  I recall at the time thinking that this was perhaps the reason behind the baffling rise in the popularity of Pinot Grigio.  Certainly the tastes and preferences of wine consumers always seem to be downright mysterious and I think many of us professionals tend to underestimate them.  I think the rise of Rosé and the continued success of Pinot Grigio show that consumers embrace wines which are fresh and easily approachable yet show a refined ability to pair well with many different types of food.   While we can talk forever as to what works and why in our business, sometimes the best way to understand it is by sharing in the experience.  I think that’s what was accomplished at the Rosé Cookout.  Beyond that, the rosé cookout was a great way to really connect with the Bacchus team. Sales reps are used to having suppliers buy them lunch, so they are more deeply touched when the supplier actually makes them lunch.  They appreciate the extra effort and care which comes with doing more than merely whipping out a credit card." 

Menu: 

Vegetable Crudite
Grilled Country Bread with Anchovy Oil

Grilled Tuna Steaks with Tomato and Persillade
Grilled Chicken with Olive Tapenade
Grilled Sausages

Ratatouille
Zucchini Gratin
Rosemary-ed Baby Spring Potatoes

You can find the cookbook Patrick used on Amazon. If you'd like more recipes to try with your favorite rosé, check out our blog post on rosé and food pairings here. 

An Insider's Look at Rosé

It’s hard to walk into your local wine shop or supermarket and not notice the stunning rows of jewel-hued rosés.  And considering the boom in popularity that rosé has enjoyed the past several years, there’s a strong chance that these beauties ranging in color from the palest of pinks to outrageous magentas will be featured prominently.  As we explored in a recent blog post, rosé has gone from being just another wine to a cultural phenomenon in a few short years.  However, most people, even the most ardent fans, have little idea of rosé’s fascinating journey from grape to glass.

While researching this article, I was fortunate to speak with two winemakers very knowledgeable about rosé production, Chelsea Franchi of Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles, CA and Simon Batarseh of August Kesseler in the Rheingau region of Germany.

It is a common misconception that rosé is made by simply combining red and white wines together.  While this technically can occur, it is quite rare when making quality rosé.  Franchi, who oversees much of the rosé production at Tablas Creek, started our conversation speaking about the two most common methods of producing rosé:  saignée and direct press. 

The saignée method involves bleeding off juice from red wine tanks before it has had a chance to take on too much color from the red wine skins (this process is called maceration).  This labor-intensive method is interesting and controversial because it is often used as a way to enhance and concentrate the remaining red wine.  Many rosé advocates consider it an affront to rosé because it is the by-product of red wine production.  However, both Franchi and Batarseh praised this method for contributing intensity of flavors and for the amount of input they have while utilizing it.  At Tablas Creek, the juice sits on the skins for approximately 24-72 hours before about 20% is bled off and subjected to a cold fermention.  Most of this wine then becomes their serious, darker colored rosé called Dianthus (named for the flowers commonly known as “pinks”).  Dianthus is generally Mourvèdre-based, a nod to the rosés of Southern France, specifically the Bandol area.  Franchi attributes this wine’s watermelon essence to the Mourvèdre used in the blend.  At Kesseler about 20% of the juice from wonderful up to 80-year-old Pinot Noir vines is bled off then fermented.   Batarseh leans on this wine to contribute color and tannins to the final blend.

The other common method of making rosé involves direct pressing of the grapes.  This method is the most common and generally is considered the benchmark for crafting quality rosé.  Both Franchi and Batarseh praised the fact that crop levels, sugar levels, acidities, and harvest dates can all be controlled in the vineyard and tailored to make the absolute best rosé.  They both also press the juice off the grape skins without any maceration time resulting in a stunning pale pink color.  Often you will see this wine labeled as vin gris.  At Tablas Creek, this limpid direct press juice is destined to become their acclaimed Patelin de Tablas Rosé.  Franchi said that they prefer to co-ferment their Grenache, Mourvedre, Counoise, and Syrah juice for this wine.  This wine is definitely styled in the tradition of the great Provençal rosés with its dominant bright strawberry notes coming from the majority Grenache.  At Kesseler the direct press juice is blended with the saignée juice for the final wine.  Batarseh likes the interplay of qualities produced by using both methods, noting that the direct press juice brings a light, bright, acid-driven quality to the final wine. 

via Wine Folly (www.winefolly.com)

I asked Franchi what her favorite grape is to work with in the production of rosé.  After some thought she answered, “Grenache,” and referenced the absolutely heavenly, heady aroma released by the vats of fermenting Grenache in the cellar.  Indeed, when studying many of the great rosé-producing areas of the world, Grenache often seems to pop up.  It makes sense when considering that Grenache is a very thin-skinned grape and overall has less color-lending phenolic compounds than other red grapes.  Franchi also referenced the little-known Rhone Valley grape Counoise as contributing a nice softness and darker red fruit flavors to their rosés as well as those produced in Southern France.  Often Syrah is also added also its wonderful spicy character.

Grenache Grapes

At Kesseler, Batarseh works exclusively with Pinot Noir for rosé production.  Once again we find a grape with thin skin and low levels of phenolic compounds.  It’s no surprise that in most of the world’s great Pinot Noir regions there is also usually concurrent rosé production (think Marsannay in Burgundy, Oregon, Germany, and the Loire Valley).  Producers in these regions get the dual benefits of producing a gorgeous berry-scented rosé and intensifying the often light juice destined for their Pinot Noir bottlings.  At Kesseler, considered one of Germany’s premier Pinot Noir specialists, their rosé shows beautiful berry and cherry notes while maintaining an elegant and exciting tension.  It’s definitely refreshing but has the stuffing for year-round drinking. 

Pinot Noir

Next time you’re buying a bottle of rosé for the lunch table, pool, or just a summer evening with friends, talk with the wine specialist or turn that bottle over and read the back label.  Besides the important visual clues from the color, you’ll gain some great perspective on what’s in a bottle by simply knowing how it’s made.  And don’t be embarrassed for buying it! 

As Franchi told me, “The stigma is over.  Rosé is one of the most delicious, versatile, and food friendly wines out there.”  Think pink!!