Road Less Traveled Part III

The Dawning of California-French Wines

     A glass of wine is an enticing collection of flavors waiting to unfold on our palates. With each sip, our taste buds are awash with the fruit flavors, acids and tannins that titillate our senses. Every mouthful reveals a wine’s individual style, structure and character that either reaffirms our expectations of a certain type of wine or creates a new standard by which we will judge other similar wines in the future. Then there are wines that are so unique, so individualistic that when we have them it is as if we have never sipped this type of wine before. This is what I experienced on a road less traveled.

     While tasting over two hundred different wines, from over thirty wineries and vineyards along the winding backs roads of Paso Robles California I came upon the unexpected, an uncommon reward for my efforts—a new style of wine. These wines evoked such new taste sensations that the usual comparisons with other such wines were inadequate. As a way of setting these sumptuous Paso Robles wines apart from what others “label” as “Rhone Clones” or “Bordeaux Blends” I created a new term, California-French to exemplify their unique individuality. Referring to these wines as “clones” of the Rhone Valley or merely “blends” from the grapes used in Bordeaux is inaccurate. They are wines with exceptional richness and texture, in a class by themselves.

     Wine producing countries, states and regions all have, what I call “personalities” or certain taste sensations that are associated with and expected from their wines. Good examples of wines from the Rhone Valley in France, such as Cote du Rhone, are light to moderate in body with mildly spicy fruit flavors, low tannins and moderate acids. Typical wines from Bordeaux on the other hand, will have more body, noticeable tannins, moderate acids and fruit flavors that are reminiscent of currants as well as non-fruit flavors such as smoke, tobacco or chocolate. Referring to a particular wine as a Rhone Clone or Bordeaux Blend, with similar taste characteristics as those from these two French wine producing regions, is a popular and until now an accurate way of describing such wines. That was before I tasted wines from three vineyards in Paso Robles California. Each vineyard produced wines of such unmatched style and character that they demanded their own unique descriptive category, hence the term—California-French.

Next month we will “taste” the wines and meet the vintners and vineyard owners of these extraordinary wines.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. By Robert Frost

The Road Less Traveled Part 2 - The Rule Breakers!

According to the dictionary, the word “rule” is defined as, “prescribed guides of conduct or actions”. Rules give us a sense of security and create order in an otherwise insecure and often chaotic world. In a society, for instance the “rule of law” establishes proper behavior for everyone to live by. “Rules of thumb” are markers or standards to help us make decisions. There are also rules that we make ourselves to determine what to expect from others and the best way to evaluate certain products. For example, “as a rule” people who lie cannot be trusted and custom-made is better than mass-produced; items that cost more are usually better than those for much less money and so on.

When it comes to wine, I have very definite “rules” that guide my judgments and influence my purchasing decisions. One of these rules is that the better wines will normally come from winemakers who meticulously watch over the vines, personally supervise or handpick only the finest grapes from their own vineyard. This stems from the belief that when winemakers use grapes from their own vineyard they can select the best grapes for their wine, which they are not necessarily able to do if they purchase grapes from someone else’s vineyard.

My other rule is not to waste my money on wine made from grapes varietals, indigenous to other countries, produced here. I have tried many wines from such as Spain’s Tempranillo and Italy’s Sangiovese, produced in California without success. In the past, these rules have kept me from wasting my wine budget on certain domestic wines and enabled me to get the best value for my money.

In part one of “The Road Less Traveled” series; we discovered very good wines from a group of “Not-Your-Typical Winemakers”. In this installment, we are going to meet two winemakers who are breaking my “rules” with such stunning success that I am obliged to mention them as the “exceptions” to the rule in my wine classes.

Michael Barreto's Wines

The first “rule-breaker” is Michael Barreto, an affable young man who has been making wine since 1999. Unlike the “not-your-typical-winemakers” in part one, most of Michael’s education and work experience involves wine and winemaking. In 2002, Michael and his wife Joey established Barreto Cellars to produce wines featuring the native grape varietals of Portugal, where Michael’s family is from, and Spanish varietals. .

There are no flowery descriptions of Barreto Cellars vineyards to share; no picturesque scenery or quaint home overlooking a valley—just great wine. All the grapes in Barreto Cellars wines are purchased from other Paso Robles vineyards, which makes Michael and Joey’s accomplishments that much more outstanding. Not only are they producing very good wine from grape varietals grown on “foreign” soil, they do not own the vineyards where these grapes are grown. I had tasted other wines made from Tempranillo by other California producers, who did own the vineyard where the grapes were grown and they were not worth the money or simply not pleasant. Then I met Michael Barreto.
Part of Michael’s concept for Barreto Cellars is to “produce wines for an entire meal”, he said during our interview. In keeping with that philosophy, Barreto Cellars produces a very nice, crisp Verdelho, a white wine made from a Portuguese grape varietal to start a meal. There are two red wines for the main course; the first is a Tempranillo. The 2004 Tempranillo I tasted had a pleasant raspberry aroma on the nose, a good balance of acids and tannins with spicy chocolate flavors. It was richer than most imported Spanish Tempranillos but still maintained the grapes basic fruity characteristics. The other red, the 2004 Vinho Tinto consists of grape varietals native to Spanish and Portugal, then barrel aged for sixteen months and bottle aged for an additional twelve. It is a complex, full-bodied wine with rich chocolate cocoa flavors—a hearty, wine lovers wine. Completing the Barreto Cellars “wine meal” philosophy, is a delicious “Port” styled wine with spicy aromas of currant on the nose that is rich and mellow to taste. This fortified wine is wonderful way to top off any meal or just sip for the pleasure of it.

Without realizing it, Michael Barreto has broken two rules that I have held near and dear to me for quite some time. Broken rules not withstanding, my wine chiller now includes some very enjoyable wines, made from Spanish and Portuguese grape varietals from Barreto Cellars.

John Backer - August Ridge

The next rule-breaker is just as pleasant a surprise as Michael Barreto is with an Italian varietal. The Sangiovese is the primary grape of Italy’s highly regarded Tuscany wine region. During my visit to Paso Robles, I tasted countless numbers of wine made from this grape by other producers. Some were better than others were but mostly they were all not worth their premium price tag compared to the less expensive Sangiovese wines from Italy. That was until I tasted the estate grown Sangiovese from August Ridge Wineries in Paso Robles.

My enthusiasm for this wine is unbridled. It is lush and opulent with a distinctive style of its own. It is also fuller and richer than any wine I have had from Tuscany and is still very much a Sangiovese, a flavorful wine for pizza, pasta, veal and beef. The Sangiovese from August Ridge is an elegant wine, reminiscent in many ways of an Italian opera—dramatic and very entertaining.

In 2001, John Backer and his wife Jill Zamborelli Backer purchased their forty-acre vineyard in Paso Robles to grow Italian grape varietals and make wine that would combine the rich, robust character of California with the sophistication of European wines. Their Sangiovese not only accomplishes their goal but also creates a new description for Sangiovese that is, “distinctively August Ridge of Paso Robles”—bravo!

In our final installment of “The Road Less Traveled”, we will meet winemakers who are creating a new style of wine, California-French. Until then remember, sometimes the best rules are the ones that are broken.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the dierence.  By Robert Frost

The Road Less Traveled - Part One - Not-Your-Typical Winemakers

    For us desert-dwellers, the allure of moderate temperatures in the nearby Central Coast of California is greater during the high heat of the summer season than it is at any other time of the year. The cool sensation of the moist ocean mist spraying on our face and the undulating, verdant hillsides dotted with vineyards and wineries are too much to resist. Come with me on a chimerical get-away, to where the cool ocean breeze is calling; winemakers are enticing our taste buds with red wines, white wines, rosés and fresh savory seafood is waiting for us on a dock of a bay that is kissed by the sun and cooled by ocean air.

      In the central coast wine region of Paso Robles there are daily bus tours traveling country roads to the tasting rooms of many of the major wineries, such as the Robert Hall Winery, J. Lohr, Edward Sellers Vineyards and Wines to name just a few. Turning away from the well-worn routes of these frequented roads, we depart the ordinary and navigate “the road less traveled”. On our journey, we will encounter the obscure, the unique and a new style of wine. In “not-your-typical winemakers”, we will meet people who traveled odd paths to make wine; in part two, we will taste the wines of the “rule-breakers” and ending our sojourn from the desert, we will discover the new “California-French” wine.

The Environmentalist

From environmental engineering and environmental law, to organic and sustainable farming Jeff Pipes, owner of Pipestone Vineyards cultivates his land using a team of draft horses. For Jeff the road to becoming a “not-your-typical winemaker” started in the Midwest. Now after three degrees and twenty-two years of schooling, unrelated to winemaking, he is cultivating his love for winemaking and the environment in Paso Robles. His wife, Florence Wong arrived via Hong Kong and a career in fashion to work hand and hand with him in their vineyard. Together they are combining western environmentally sustainable farming techniques and eastern feng shui principles to live in concert with nature, farming and making wine.

Jeff Pipes and Bernard

In the rustic, farm-like setting of Pipestone Vineyards tasting room, off Highway 46 in Paso Robles, Jeff shared his winemaking philosophy and demonstrable passion for protecting the environment, while pouring his wines. All of Pipestone’s wines are hand picked from estate-grown grapes. My favorites were the 2005 Syrah, with an earthy nose and white pepper finish and the Grenache Rose that was fruity and well balanced with a clean, smooth finish.

The Sailor

It is hard to imagine twenty-eight years in the US Navy qualifying anyone to be a winemaker, let alone one with the skill of Leon Tackitt of Tackitt Family Wines. Yet such is the case with Leon. Nearing retirement from the U.S. Navy in 1998, Leon and his wife Cindy decided to start a new life on his grandparent’s vineyard in San Miguel and make wine! Luckily for us they did. After several years of hard work, trial and error and much effort Leon and Cindy are on their way to establishing a winery of note and great promise.

Leon Tackitt and his Dad

Their 2007 Gewürztraminer is a wine of exceptional quality. The grapes are estate grown with aromas of just picked fresh peaches and hints of honey on the nose. To the taste, the fruit is leaning towards apricots with hints of apple. The mild acids on the finish nicely compliments cheese and cured meats. This wine achieves a very delicate balance of sugar and mouth-watering acids on the palate, allowing us to enjoy it before, during or after dinner. Capitalizing on his obvious knack for making white wine Leon has recently released a Riesling that I can hardly wait to taste.

Newark New Jersey Musicians

Carmine Rubino and John D’Andrea of D’Anbino Vineyards and Cellars are another example of not-your-typical winemakers flourishing in Paso Robles. Carmine and John grew up like “brothers” in an Italian neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey. Each pursued separate careers in music, recording, film and television in New York City and Los Angeles.

Reunited again, they are making wine worthy of their Italian heritage and continue to pursue their love for music. Located in “downtown” Paso Robles their tasting room is a mini cabaret, equipped with a professional sound system, stage, bar, tables and chairs that hosts musical events, shows and—oh yes, their wines.

All of the D’Anbino Vineyards and Cellars wines are estate grown and bottled on their vineyard in the Estralla Range, east of Highway 101 in Paso Robles, except the Sauvignon Blanc. Their Syrah is the wine that stands out and shows off their true winemaking skills. The 2002 Syrah I tasted had wonderful earth tones on the nose, mild tannins and acid, with hints of black tea and pepper on the palate. For dessert lovers their “Portamento”, a port styled wine, the taste of which still lingers in my memory as I write this article is dessert by itself. On the nose, there are aromas of yeast and dough that whet the appetite for something sweet; on the palate the taste of cinnamon cake and “hot cross buns” lingers on the finish. This is a perfect wine for chocolates and other sweets.

Barry Kinnman-Bear CaveCellars

These are just a few of the not-your-typical winemakers we uncovered on our get-away to California’s Central Coast wine region. There was also a duo of practicing attorneys, Barry Kinnman and his wife Marilyn Curry, owners of Bear Cave Cellars; a one time major leaguer, Tom Hinkle, of Rio Seco Vineyard and Winery; Stephen Lock a former educational publishing executive and now owner and winemaker of Ecluse Wines, plus others who have transcended their previous professions to be not-your-typical winemakers.

Our journey ends with seafood on a bay presided over by the “Morro Rock”, a 176-meter high, volcanic plug looming over the entrance to a harbor and a causeway that connects it to the shore. Traveling from Paso Robles, on US highway 1 south, the glamorous and sometimes notorious Pacific Coast Highway, past the quaint town of Cambria, we work our way down to the lazy fishing village of Morro Bay. On the northern end of the Embarcadero, on the bay, adjacent to rolling fishing boats and trawlers docked at the pier, there is Tognazzini’ Dockside Restaurant and Fish Market. Sitting on a sun drenched wooden deck, dotted with plastic tables and chairs that are shaded by large beach umbrellas one can enjoy heaping platters of deep fried fresh fish or my favorite “barbequed oysters”. These oysters are the largest and best I have ever had. Cooked to perfection on an open flame grill in their shells, served on the half-shell smothered in melted butter and garlic for more savory opulence, they are an uncommon delight. The oysters are pump, tender and juicy, perfectly seasoned by the richness of the melted butter and the tangy garlic. Add a loaf of bread to sop up the oyster juices and the garlic butter then wash it down with a chilled glass of Chardonnay or a pitcher of cold beer and the hot desert sun of Arizona will be but a faint memory.

Next month, in part two of The Road Less Traveled series we will meet - The Rule-Breakers.

Happy trails!

Italy—Land of Wine Values

Italian wines are wonderful and at the same time maddening. Many of the wine regions blend their wines with the same grape varietals, giving them a “sameness” that makes it difficult to differentiate the regions by taste. Still, no matter how frustrating it may be to find taste differences between regions, Italian wines are some of the best values for the money.

The colonizing Greeks called Italy Oenotria, “the land of wine”. Its topography is ideal for growing grapes. On this peninsular, caressed by the balmy breezes of the Tyrrhenian, Ionian, and Adriatic seas there is an abundance of sunshine, sloping hillsides and a temperate climate. The soil is no less perfect than the topography is for viticulture; much of the soil is volcanic and limestone with plenty of gravel and clay to nurture the most finicky grape vines. With seemingly everything in its favor to consistently produce great wines, it somehow manages to be very inconsistent in the greatness of its wines. However, if there is one constant about wines from Italy, it is that Italian winemakers produce good wines, sometimes great wines but almost always produce affordable wines that are well worth the money.

Most wines made in a country will compliment the country’s cuisine and Italy is no exception. Italian wines are wonderful taste companions for chicken, veal, meatballs, pork sausage, tomatoes and tomato sauces. It is hard for me to think of pasta or pizza without a glass of Italian wine. Never do I think of a French wine, whose virtues I continuously extol, nor do I crave a hearty California wine to go with a bowl of pasta or a thin crusted pizza. It is always a wine from Italy with just the right amount of fruit and acids to intermingle with the tomato sauce clinging to my pasta or to wash down, but not overpower the melted mozzarella cheese and pizza crust. Italian wines were made to compliment Italian food but they are also perfect partners for similar dishes that are not necessarily Italian.

A Patchwork of Denomination of Origins
Italy’s numerous wine regions and designations of origination are of minimal value in determining a specific taste because of their overlapping borders and also many regions use the very same grapes in their wine. There are twenty official wine growing regions in Italy. Within these twenty “official” regions, there are thirty-six DOCG’s (denomination origins of control guaranteed) with an additional and overlapping twenty-one DOC’s, which do not have the word “guaranteed” in their designation. DOCG and DOC are designations similar to the French AOC (Appellation Origin of Control) and the American AVA (American Viticultural Area) which further defines a geographical wine producing area and also sets limits on the amount of grapes grown there to prevent dilution of the grape’s quality. To add to this already abundant list of designations, Italy has added new categories, VDT (Vino da Tavola) and IGT (Indicazione Georgraphica Tipica) which in some instances are expanded versions of already existing DOCs and DOCGs.

Italy “boasts” three hundred and fifty varietals grown throughout the country, some of the same grapes are used to make wine in more that one region. Unfortunately, because of this the DOCs and DOCGs lose their significance. For example, the Sangiovese grape is grown in many regions and is used in the wine in these regions, such as Tuscany, Veneto, Umbria, Sardinia and others. The differences in the wines from these regions will be in their “regional style” and also in how much of the Sangiovese grape is used, rather than the tightly defined location of where the Sangiovese grape is grown. In some instances we can almost always be assured of tasting Sangiovese, to one degree or another, in some wines, no matter what the DOC or DOCG. Fortunately we do not need to work our way through all the origins of control to find very good and affordable wines from Italy. Let us visit three wines regions with very good wine values.

Abruzzi
The first region is Abruzzi, situated southeast of Rome on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Outside of the tiny city of Vasto Italy, population approximately 36,000 lays the DOCG, Montepulciano d’Abruzzi. This wine is named for its grape, Montepulciano and its wine growing region of Abruzzi. Most of the wines here are fruity bargains, selling for about eight dollars a bottle and up. Like most wines in this price category, they are young and fruity and the quality can vary from bottle to bottle. However, these wines are invariable well worth the money for simple, everyday table wines. (A word of caution, do not confuse this wine with Vino Di Montepulciano from Tuscany, which is more expensive and made from Sangiovese.)

Tuscany
Traveling northwest from Abruzzi we come to the romantic region of Tuscany, home of Chianti and one of Italy’s most abundant grapes, Sangiovese. Chianti, like most of the wines from Tuscany is made from mostly, if not all Sangiovese. The better Chiantis are labeled Chianti Classico, the classical or original Chianti area, as opposed to simply Chianti, which is the new and expanded Chianti zone. Generally, Chianti will have more body than Montepulciano d’Abruzzi and will not be as fruity.

Chianti Favorites
My two favorite Chiantis are both from the Chianti Classico DOCG and are labeled “Riservas”, which guarantee a minimum of barrel aging depending on the producer; usually it is twelve months or more. Nozzole Chianti Classico is one hundred percent Sangiovese, wood barrel aged for twelve months and sells for approximately $23.00 locally. This wine was recommended to me back in 1970 by a very knowledgeable wine merchant in New York City and I have been drinking it ever since. The quality of Nozzole has hardly varied over the years. It is medium bodied, soft to moderate tannins with a long spicy finish.

My other favorite Chianti is Ruffino Riserva Ducale with the gold label. It is aged in wood for two years, and is a medium bodied Chianti with softer tannins than Nozzole and a moderately less spicy finish. It sells for about the same price as Nozzole, under $25.00 a bottle, depending on the merchant. Both of these Chiantis will add a special touch of Italy to any Italian styled dinner.

Veneto
Next we travel north to the verdant hills of the Veneto wine region, where we will find the DOCG, Valpolicella. Of all of the wines in Italy (except for Barolo from Piedmont and Amarone from this same region, both of which have become far too expensive to enjoy casually) this wine is the most intriguing and the best value for its quality.

My Favorite Valpolicella
Valpolicella is a blend of indigenous regional grapes, mostly Corvina and is made using an ancient local fermentation method called ripasso. This process ferments the wine a second time with used, dried grape skins from the more distinctive Amarone wine. The result is a Valpolicella that is deep, round and very well balanced, with soft tannins, moderate acids and flavors reminiscent of dried prunes—a flavor that comes from the grape skins used in making Amarone. A good example of a tasty, well balanced Valpolicella is produced by Masi, called Campofiorin and is available for less than $20.00 a bottle.

Very few countries can boast the vast array of wines that Italy has to offer, with prices that can satisfy the most cost conscience wine lover. These three are just a small sample of the wine values from Oenotria, the land of wine—values.

Rose.......Blushingly.....EXPOSED!

In the process of writing this article about rosé wine, a moment of uncertainty surfaced within this writer. It was a telling moment that determined the very fate of the article. Rosé wines are unpretentious, lighthearted and an ideal choice to have with many different types of food. These are great qualities for a wine to possess but the question lingered—are they enough to merit a story of their own. Such was my dilemma until research and good fortune provided other practical tidbits of information about rosé wine to give birth to this article.

First, I uncovered a website devoted entirely to rosé wine, www.RAP.com (Rosé Avengers and Producers). The site is composed of an international group of rosé vintners and enthusiasts determined to “right the wrongs done to dry rosé”. There are many injustices relating to wine, such as the misconception that all Sherry is sweet and syrupy for one; another is the practice of labeling sparkling wine as “Champagne” when it is not from the Champagne region in France. Curiously, neither one of these more eminent wines has a website devoted entirely to “righting their wrongs”; but simple rosé has one.  

Adding to this internet discovery, a fellow wine buff, Leonard Eaton brought to my attention new European Union regulations on rosé wine labels that I will comment on later. There are also other classifications for rosé wine, here-to-fore unknown to this writer, such as Oeil de Perdix, an old French name for a pale rosé, Retsina, a unique Greek rosé that has been made for 2,000 years and Schilcher, rosé wine made only in Austria. All this intriguing and little known data about such a likeable and easy to drink wine as rosé!

In the United States, Blush Wines and White Zinfandels are pseudonyms for rosé wines. These pseudonyms are the creation of very same Madison Avenue image-makers who once extolled the merits of boring wines, such as Mateus and Lancers. As a result of their successful advertising campaign for Mateus and Lancers, many Americans do not usually hold rosé wine in very high esteem, hence the need for pseudonyms for rosé. For those of us who have enjoyed “other” rosé wines from around the world, there is no need to hide the name rosé underneath a pseudonym to differentiate it from Mateus and Lancers.

My introduction to the pleasures of this wine was “Brilliante Rosado” from Spain. A wine-savvy friend brought it to my attention about the same time “Mateus” and Lancers became popular in New York City, during the late nineteen-sixties. When everyone else’s palate was mislead into thinking the sweet, bubbly “Mateus” or the cherry-soda like “Lancers” was “rosé”, I was quaffing the light and dry, pale garnet hued Brilliante Rosado almost nightly with different foods. I have been an advocate of rosé wine ever since.

Rosé wine has a distinctive easy style of its own that is not similar to red or white wines, yet is still relevant on the palate. This gentle pink creation of the vintner is at its best young; revealing a delicate and refreshing texture on the palate. It is almost “bashful” with food, preferring to coalesce with other flavors rather than stand apart. Generally, good rosé wines are somewhat dry but not tart, with enough flavor to imply a fruit’s sweet presence but still not sweet. The color of the wine can vary greatly, from nearly lucid pink to shades as dark as strawberry-pink. Almost independent of its country-of-origin or maker, rosé transcends the concept of red wine with red meat and white wine for chicken and fish. Therein lays its transcendental appeal to wine-lovers.

Rosé wines are white wines tinted by the color of red grape skins or occasionally white wines blended with red wines to create lush pink wines. They are easy on the palate with scarcely noticeable hints of tannin from the red grape skin or the red wine that created its pale rose-petal color. The scintilla of tannin in the wine will remind your taste buds of its presence with beef, veal and pork and evanesce with chicken or fish.

This would be a good time to comment on the previously mentioned new European Union regulations pertaining to rosé wine. There is presently much ado over these soon to be adopted wine label requirements. The new law requires rosé wine labels to indicate whether they are “Traditional Rosé”, made by fermenting white wine with red grape skins or “Blended Rosé”, which is made from combining both red and white wine. Why this matters escapes this wine-lover. How the color comes about is irrelevant compared to the taste. This added classification will just confuse the issue for most consumers when the important information is already on the label.

Winemakers in Bordeaux, France have been combining different red grapes for decades to create some of the finest and most expensive wines in the world. The opulent red wine from the Rhone Valley in France, Chateauneuf du Pape can have as many a thirteen different grapes, red or white. Neither one of these wines are required to have differentiating labels from those with different blending recipes. The accepted practice of combining different grapes is no different from combining different colored wines for harmony and balance. Spain, which is one of the few countries to allow this blending of red and white wines for rosé produces some of the most enjoyable, easy drinking rosés available. In light of all this, the new label regulation seems theatrically staged for some unknown political benefit or “Much Ado About Nothing”.

While teaching a wine tasting class in Green Valley this year I sampled a delicious Spanish rosé, from Tarragona, Spain called Nostrada. This wine is refreshingly dry and fruity and costs only seven dollars a bottle! California is also not without it’s rosé wine values. This past summer I tasted the Lunar Rosé, from Midnight Cellars in Paso Robles, California that I recommended in my November article titled “A Thanksgiving Symphony for Food and Wine”. The Lunar Rosé is a fruity wine that leaves feint hints of sweetness on the palate with each delightful sip. It sells for about ten dollars a bottle. They are both good examples of inexpensive and good tasting rosé wines to enjoy with or without food.

     All the factoids, different terms and pseudonyms for rosé along with a new set of laws adopted by an austere government body will not change the essence of rosé, which is a simple, easy to drink, versatile wine. Enjoy it with all types of food, whether they are red meats or white chicken. Drink it chilled, but not ice cold and take pleasure from the many different styles of rosé—blushingly exposed.