Provence Rosé — The Dry Pink

I made a quick visit to the Wines of Provence spring tasting tour recently. “Provence in the City,” also known as “Fifty Shades of Pink,” was held on the Rooftop Terrace of L’Ermitage in Beverly Hills. This event is always a good way to experience a wide variety of Provence rosé — the dry pink.

We had very good weather and it was a scenic place to taste wine. The complete panorama included snow capped mountains and the skyline of downtown Los Angeles.

Provence is the world's largest wine region specializing in dry rosé and I have been a fan of this style since 2012, when I first tasted at Provence in the City.  If you missed my previous blog post about the tasting you can read it here.  

The Provence Wine Council knows that Americans consumed a little over 14 bottles of wine per resident, per year, in 2013 and they'd like you to drink a few bottles from Provence as part of your case-plus each year. (OK, if you are only consuming one case annually, why are you reading about wine?) It seems like a reasonable thing to do — expand your tasting experience and drink some rosé from Provence. Wines of Provence are from Côtes de Provence, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, and Coteaux Varois.

I have to admit that before I tasted the Vins de Provence I was generally suspicious of any pink wines, having tasted the typical sweet white zin in the past (like the 80s), but these are completely different. There are quite a few styles of rosé wines, some vary by locations within Provence, most have different blends of the popular grapes used in rosé, and some are even aged in oak! As the Provence Wine Council says, these wines have the “Character of a red with the crispness of a white.”

Pool guests are asked to switch your beverage to a plastic champagne flute.

As they poured my wine several people mentioned to me that “This wine would be good to enjoy by the pool.” I think they were really trying to say it would be good as an Apéritif (to drink without food) and not that I should leave the tasting area to drink my wine at the nearby pool. (Besides, I’m not so sure about drinking Rosé from a plastic champagne flute anyway.)

Many of the Rosé wines I tasted would definitely pair well with a broad range of fine cuisine. And some were described as being very good either way — as in by the pool or with food. Château D’Esclans offers their Rosé as the answer to this question about having it either way:
“HOW DOES A ROSE ELUDE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN BEING A SUPERB APERITIF ROSE AND A FINE WINE THAT ENJOYS THE VERSATILITY OF BEING SUCCESSFULLY PAIRED WITH A BROAD RANGE OF FINE CUISINE?”

The Wine Tasting ...
In my quick visit I managed to taste wines from close to a third of the Provence producers.

Barton & Guestier

2014 Barton & Guestier Passeport Rosé, Côtes de Provence
50% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, 15% Syrah

2014 La Villa Barton Rosé, Côtes de Provence
45% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 25% Cinsault

Château D’Esclans - Domaines Sacha Lichine - Whispering Angel 

2014 Whispering Angel Rosé, Côtes de Provence
Grenache, Rolle, Cinsault

2014 Château D’Esclans Rosé, Côtes de Provence
Grenache, Rolle, Tibouren

2013 Les Clans Rosé, Côtes de Provence
Grenache, Rolle (Aged in oak and stainless steel.)

2013 Garrus Rosé, Côtes de Provence
Grenache, Rolle
Old-vine Grenache and Rolle (Aged in oak.)
 

Château Pigoudet

2014 Pigoudet Premiere Rosé, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence
Grenache, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah

2014 Château Pigoudet La Chapelle Rosé, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence
Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Château Pigoudet Classic Rosé, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence
Grenache, Cinsault, Ugni Blanc

Domaine Terr De Mistral

2014 Simone Rosé, Côtes de Provence
Syrah, Grenache

2014 Anna White, Côtes de Provence
Rolle 

Mas de Cadenet

2014 Famille Négrel Nuit Blanche Rosé, Côtes de Provence
Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah
“Nuit Blanche” means “Sleepless Night” and it refers to the night harvest.

2014 Arbaude Rosé, Côtes de Provence
60% Grenache, 40% Cinsault & Syrah

2014 Mas de Cadenet Rosé, Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire
50% Grenache, 40% Cinsault, 10% Syrah

2014 Mas de Cadenet Blanc, Côtes de Provence
100% Rolle

Maison Saint Aix

2014 AIX Rosé, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence
60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Cinsault

Hecht & Bannier

2014 Côtes de Provence Hecht & Bannier Rosé, Côtes de Provence
Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah 

Estandon Vignerons

2014 Estandon Rosé, Côtes de Provence
Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah

2104 Terres de Saint Louis Rosé, Coteaux Varois en Provence
Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah

2014 Croix de Basson Organic Rosé, Côtes de Provence
Grenache, Cinsault

Food, Wine & Lots Of Questions ...

My Favorite Wines ...
I’m sure there were many other great wines being poured and I would have liked the time to taste them all.  Out of the 16 wines that I tasted I thought 12 of them were very good (regardless of price).

• 2013 Château D’Esclans, Garrus Rosé, Côtes de Provence
• 2014 Mas de Cadenet Rosé, Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire
• 2014 Château Pigoudet Classic Rosé, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence
• 2014 Château Pigoudet La Chapelle Rosé, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence
• 2014 Domaine Terr De Mistral, Simone Rosé, Côtes de Provence
• 2014 Mas de Cadenet, Arbaude Rosé, Côtes de Provence
• 2013 Château D’Esclans, Les Clans Rosé, Côtes de Provence
• 2014 Barton & Guestier, La Villa Barton Rosé, Côtes de Provence
• 2014 Château Pigoudet, Pigoudet Premiere Rosé, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence
• 2014 Domaine Terr De Mistral, Anna White, Côtes de Provence
• 2014 Mas de Cadenet Blanc, Côtes de Provence
• 2014 Mas de Cadenet, Famille Négrel Nuit Blanche Rosé, Côtes de Provence

The Best Overall ...
I really enjoyed the wines offered at:

• Mas de Cadenet
• Château Pigoudet
• Domaine Terr De Mistral

Retail Prices ...
I noticed a range of $9 to $100 per bottle at the tasting and I guessed that many of Provence Rosé wines are under $20. I was close with my guess; the official average price per bottle in the premium rosé segment is just under $17. That's even better!
 
What to Buy …
After the last Provence In The City tasting event I found Maitres Vignerons de Saint-Tropez, Saint Roch Les Vignes Rosé, Côtes de Provence at the local Pavillions Grocery Store (Safeway). It’s still one of my favorites and has a very reasonable retail price of around $15.

After this tasting (and based on my guesses at retail prices) I’ll be looking for the following wines:

1. 2014 Château Pigoudet, Pigoudet Premiere Rosé, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence
2. 2014 Château Pigoudet La Chapelle Rosé, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence
3. 2014 Château Pigoudet Classic Rosé, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence
4. 2014 Domaine Terr De Mistral, Simone Rosé, Côtes de Provence
5. 2014 Domaine Terr De Mistral, Anna White, Côtes de Provence
6. 2014 Mas de Cadenet, Arbaude Rosé, Côtes de Provence
7. 2014 Mas de Cadenet Blanc, Côtes de Provence
8. 2014 Mas de Cadenet Rosé, Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire
9. 2014 Mas de Cadenet, Famille Négrel Nuit Blanche Rosé, Côtes de Provence
10. 2014 Barton & Guestier, La Villa Barton Rosé, Côtes de Provence

Where to buy …
Visit the Wines of Provence US Retailer Directory for a listing of the wine stores that carry these wines in your area.
 
What I drank the most …
Still and Sparkling Water sponsored by Solé Natural Mineral Water.  :-)  Really big water bottles! 

Cheers!

Email:        TasteNTrip@gmail.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TasteNTrip
Twitter:      @TasteNTrip

Wine Fest Los Olivos 2015

They were right - this town
 should have its own wine festival!

Hospitality Center at Corner House Coffee

The day started with pouring RAIN

and finished with pouring WINE!

This wine festival was a very different format ... no lines for food or wine, no congested traffic or crowds, just a perfect way to taste wine while strolling around Los Olivos!

Stafford's Famous Chocolates, next to the Hospitality Center, was our first stop and also our last stop of the day. In my original plan I'd mapped out a tasting trip in a circular route around town. When I discovered the food pairing schedule at wineries (and in Stafford's case, wine pairing schedule) varied throughout the day, we adjusted our tasting order to match up with the different time slots.

This change of tasting order was no problem in the relatively small area, and it added some "mystery" to the festival. Unfortunately, our timing wasn't perfect though, and we missed the food from Babe' Farms and AutoStrada Pizza.

Romp added We Olive SLO to their Boots, Shoes & Bags.  Devon likes the olive oil at We Olive very much, but I think it could have been a real hit if it were paired with wine!

Our first tasting was at Andrew Murray Vineyards, where they have been spreading the Rhone gospel for many years. This wine tasting and food pairing turned out to be one of the best of the day!

Caramelized Cipollini Onions + 2013 Viognier

I ranked all of the wines I tasted as Excellent! The food pairing featuring Caramelized Cipollini Onions and Twice-baked Potatoes with a Red Wine Braised Short Rib on Top by Village Modern Foods really complemented the white and red wines. 

Twice-baked Potatoes & Red Wine Braised Short Rib + 2013 This is Elleven Pinot Noir

This wine and food pairing really did go to 11!

Devon visited Honey Paper to check out their wine-themed stationery and gifts.

In contrast to the modern interior at Andrew Murray Vineyards, Refugio Ranch Vineyards has the corner on rustic!

We enjoyed tasting their wines and I especially liked the 2012 Syrah-Grenache-Petite Sirah.

Bob's Well Bread "artisan hand-made in small batches" bread was featured with the wine.  It was fresh and very good.

Artiste is by far the most colorful winery in the area! Impressionism on the walls and European style blends that they call Impressionist Cuvées are a great blend of wine and art.

Both red wines were very good and I liked the 2014 Queen best.

Even the food was colorful! The outdoor portable brick oven from Fire & Wine Wood Fired Pizzas was kept busy producing pepperoni, sausage and margherita pizzas. The thin crust was super!

The 2014 Queen red blend with slices of pepperoni and sausage pizzas. (Love the Jackson Pollock-style splattered paint in the background. I need some napkins that look like this!)

Daniel Gehrs Wines poured some interesting wines.

I enjoyed the 2012 Pinot Noir, Cienaga Valley, Monterey County best.  Devon liked the 2013 Riesling. We both liked the 2011 Fireside Port with chocolate. The big winery cat attempted to drink out of my empty glass, but then decided to drink the 2015 terra cotta clay saucer water under the pot by the door.  Something for everybody!

We enjoyed Toretti's Family Vineyard wines and the brats, hotlinks, and Linguiça sausages from Big Joe's Brats.

The 2011 Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley was my favorite! Devon liked the 2012 Chardonnay and 2012 Rosada De Pinot Noir.

Big Joe's Brats with gourmet fixins were tasty and a little spicy.

The Riedel Master Glass Seminar at the Grange Hall received good reviews.

Sides Hardware and Shoes - a Brothers Restaurant was just across the street from the Grange Hall and they provided the food at the Arthur Earl tasting room too.

We found Coquelicot nearby and tasted the white and red wines.

The 2011 Mon Amour, their "Flagship Red," was excellent.

The Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe turned out to be a pleasant tasting stop. Unlike any other wine festivals, we sat at the bar inside the restaurant/wine shop and were served our wine and food.

The 2012 Bernat Grenache Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley and the 2009 Bernat Syrah ‘Gratitude’ were both very good! I tasted the chicken pate and pickles on crostini with the white and had the deep fried steak tartare with the red.

Alexander and Wayne poured three red wines and Pure Joy Catering served grilled pork and cheese sandwiches.

The 2011 Merlot was my favorite and it paired very well with the Cuban-style sandwich.

The Arthur Earl Tasting Room is related to Alexander & Wayne and it's just around the side.

All of the Arthur Earl red wines were excellent! Sides Restaurant served a delicious maple pork belly and a smoked salmon on crostini; they both went very quickly!

Hip, trendy and orange! We enjoyed our visit to Epiphany Cellars.

The white and red wines were all very good! My favorite was the 2011 Gypsy. Petros served some tasty meatballs and a fried dip.

We found Lafond Winery & Vineyards on the front porch at Wendy Foster – Los Olivos.

I thought the 2011 Chardonnay was excellent and it paired well with the shrimp appetizer from Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro.

Our last tasting room stop was at Stolpman Vineyards. It was a nice cottage with authentic grapevines in the front and a good size tasting room.

 Winemaker Peter Stolpman was sharing some wine on the patio.

All of the Stolpman wines were very good and I enjoyed the 2012 Originals Syrah with a great pulled pork sandwich from Georgia's Smokehouse.

Our very last stop was back where we started in the beginning ... at Stafford's Famous Chocolates with Larner Vineyard & Winery. 

Both the 2010 Elemental GSM and the 2010 Syrah were very good, as usual. And winemaker Michael Larner was right, the Stafford's chocolates went best with the 2010 Syrah.

A GREAT TIME!
The rain stopped very early. All of the dishes paired with wines were very good! The festival was fun and I can recommend all of the places we visited. In particular, I had the best times at Andrew Murray Vineyards, Arthur Earl, Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe, and Toretti's Family Vineyards.

I'm glad we made it to the first Wine Festival Los Olivos and I can't wait to go to the next one in 2016!

CHEERS!

Gary Coon with empty wine glass and camera at the Fess Parker Inn & Spa.

Email:        TasteNTrip@gmail.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TasteNTrip
Twitter:      @TasteNTrip