Everything’s Coming Up (SoCal) Rosés!

EVERYTHING’S COMING UP (SoCal)Rosés BY BRIANNE COHEN

Summertime is here! Which means it’s also time to celebrate rosé season. Pink wine is everywhere, and it’s for good reason. Rosé is the perfect wine to enjoy while beating the summer heat and it goes with just about every light, fresh summer dish. Think bountiful salads, grilled shrimp, poached salmon, and light chicken dishes. Rosé: it’s the wine mascot of the summer!

When we talk about food, we often speak to the benefits of eating local. Sourcing your food (specifically fruits, vegetables, and proteins) from as close to wherever you live as possible. Making local food choices causes a lower carbon footprint, which is beneficial to the environment. Eating local also helps support local food growers and purveyors, which helps the local economy to keep chugging away. But what about drinking local? Can we see the same benefits if we drink locally? Absolutely! Lower carbon footprint: check! And supporting the local economy: check!

Here I showcase 4 locally grown and locally made rosés. These wines are SoCal, through and through. From as far south as Temecula, to as far north as Los Angeles. Support your local winemakers and the local economy to do your part. Not all heroes wear capes….some carry a glass of SoCal rosé!

Ponte Winery 2020 Pas Doux Rosé (Temecula, CA) $30

Ponte Winery in Temecula is a great jumping off place for a visit to the area. They’ve got a wine tasting room, the Ponte Inn for lodging, and a restaurant, all onsite. This rosé of Sangiovese is a stunner! Great acid and finishes dry, yet the fruit is ripe. Red fruit (strawberry) plus tropical fruit (watermelon and melon). Also, a beautiful floral through note that ties it all together. If you find yourself in Temecula this summer, a taste or a glass of this rosé, is the perfect place to start.

Lorenzi Estate 2020 Malbec Rosé (Temecula, CA) $45

There’s not enough Malbec rosé out there. This premium rosé proves to me that Malbec rosé IS a thing, and there needs to be more of it. What I love about this rosé, is its complexity. Rosé is generally known for being cheap, cheerful, and fruity. This wine is so much more than that. There is a prominent spice note, in addition to bountiful red fruit. The spiciness makes this my pick if you want an interesting rosé and have been unimpressed by the sea of unremarkable rosé that is out there.

Byron Blatty Wines 2020 Rosé (Los Angeles, CA) $27

“Wine from LA?” you say, clutching your pearls? Yes, wine from LA. Many don’t know that Los Angeles County has a long and rich history of grape growing and winemaking. Mark Blatty and a few other LA vintners are working hard to educate Angelenos of this history right here in their backyard. Byron Blatty is leading the pack with some killer Los Angeles wines, focusing on reds. It’s no surprise then that this Grenache and Syrah blend delivers a big, bold, grown up rosé. Firm. A rosé for the red wine drinker. If you’re looking to bring a bottle or rosé that will impress a group of wine geeks, this is the one.

Cavaletti Vineyards 2019 Rosé 109 Mile (Los Angeles, CA) $25

This rosé is made with Tempranillo and Grenache grapes from the Swayze Vineyard in NW Los Angeles County. There’s that Los Angeles wine again! Red fruit abounds, plus blood orange and stone fruit notes. Also, a lovely rose petal notes both on the nose and palate. This wine has a delicacy to it that really elevates it. Their Moorpark urban winery is open for tastings. Appointments suggested, but walk-ins welcome.

Making local food choices causes a lower carbon footprint, which is beneficial to the environment. Eating local also helps support local food growers and purveyors, which helps the local economy to keep chugging away. But what about drinking local? Can we see the same benefits if we drink locally? Absolutely! Lower carbon footprint: check! And supporting the local economy: check!

– Brianne Cohen is a WSET Diploma certified sommelier, wine educator, judge, and writer based out of Los Angeles. She blogs at www. BrianneCohen.com.