During the long, hot days of summer, wine drinkers find relief and satisfaction in the light, breezy pleasures of rosé wine. Long known for their legendary Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga wineries have begun crafting rosé offerings in response to the upsurge in demand to drink pink.
As one of the fastest growing wine types in the U.S., rosé is made in numerous styles. Most share a vibrant acidity, bright fruit flavors and a delightfully dry finish. Extremely food friendly, rosé pairs with a variety of warm-weather foods including seafood and barbecue favorites such as hamburgers, hot dogs and fries.
The wine’s garnet pink hue is due to two factor: The grape variety and the amount of maceration time – the limited hours or days of contact with red-skinned grapes. Most local rosés are derived from Cabernet, Merlot and Zinfandel. The wine is then fermented in stainless steel tanks at cool temperatures to lock in the fruity, floral aromas. Once bottled, rosés are intended to be served chilled and consumed young.
In your next visit to the “Top of the Valley” seek out stellar rosé wines from one or more of the following Calistoga wineries:
- Barlow Vineyards
- Bennett Lane Winery
- Canard Vineyard
- Clos Pegase
- Coquerel Family Estate Wines
- Fairwinds Estate Winery
- Fisher Vineyards
- Jax Vineyards
- Jericho Canyon Vineyard
- Joseph Cellars Winery
- Kenefick Ranch Vineyards
- La Sirena Wine
- Next Door Wine
- Paoletti Estates Wines
- Phifer Pavitt Wine
- Romeo Vineyards & Cellars
- Sterling Vineyards
- Storybook Mountain Winery
- Tom Eddy Winery
- Vincent Arroyo Winery
- Von Strasser Family of Wines
- 2880 Wines