August 13, 2003
For me, summertime means drinking delicious chilled rose wine! The French understand that concept and the place of rose; Americans don't! Dry rose is very apropos with lunch, with a picnic, and with al fresco dining-especially on hot summer days.Americans, I think, have yet to embrace the concept of drinking rose. True, the three martini lunch has gone the way of the Betamax and jib bag. Doing even one or two martinis at lunch would do me in. But wine-especially rose, on the other hand-is a perfect refreshing summertime quaff.
Possibly the American palate has been sullied by hideous, out-of-balance, sweet white zinfandel. Unfortunately most people think of white zin when they think of pink wine. Too bad.
Some U.S. wine producers make delicious dry rose wine in the style of European wines made in Tavel and Provence. Both Tablas Creek west of Paso Robles and Sanford Winery in the Santa Rita Hills appellation of Santa Barbara County produce some of my favorites.
Last week I had a bottle of Sanford's new 2002 vintage estate bottled Pinot Noir-Vin Gris. Tasting room manager, Chris Burroughs, told me this vintage was produced from Clone 115 grown in Sanford's Rinconada Vineyard.
"Vin Gris" is the French buzz word for rose wine, especially wine made from the pinot noir grape. Vin Gris means gray wine-neither "blanc" nor "noir." And pinot noir Clone 115 is widely planted in California and is generally regarded as producing some of the best pinot noir in the New World.
Sanford Winery has been a real pioneer in producing this serious rose wine. They have made Pinot Noir-Vin Gris since the early 80s. Chris told me the winery makes about 1,300 cases each vintage.
I drank the wine on one of those humid evenings when I really didn't feel like cooking. I had it with one of those "Aussie pot pies" from Costco and several ripe tomatoes with salt and pepper. Two nights later I finished the bottle with some fresh guacamole and salsa.
The wine shows upfront aromas of ripe strawberries. On the palate, passion fruit, strawberries and lime. The wine finished crisp, with hints of raspberry, and what Chris Burroughs calls "minerality."
The wine would be great with appetizers, ribs (maybe baby back ribs the way the Hitching Post barbecues them) and burgers. This serious, and delicious, and seriously delicious rose is a great "hanging around the barbecue" type of wine.
Tasty with salsa and guacamole, Chris Burroughs added the Vin Gris is good with lamb curry because the wine goes with both the lamb and the curry. The wine also works well with sushi and spicy Chinese food, Chris added.
The wine's a great value at $13.
Sanford Winery's tasting room is located at Rancho El Jabali, 7250 Santa Rosa Road, about five miles west of Buellton. The tasting room is open daily from 11 to 4. (805) 688-3300.
Times wine columnist, Bob Senn lives in the bucolic Los Alamos Valley and owns the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium.
