30 Days of Rosé | #16 | Boyden Valley Winery | Rosé La JuJu | Frontenac & Cayuga | $15.99
Our friends at Boyden Valley Winery produce friendly, easy drinking wines with great care and expertise. We are pleased to be highlighting their crowd pleasing, every-day-rosé right along some of our favorite seasonal vin.
Drink locally (and deliciously!) by exploring Boyden Valley Wines – we’ll happily point out the 10 table wines we have in stock PLUS the 4 dessert / Ice Wines, PLUS their 5 ciders AND their liqueur!
In case you didn’t notice… we’re not just big fans of their liquid portfolio, but our warm friends who make VT increasingly delicious.
David and Linda Boyden started milking grapes in 1997 with the founding of Boyden Valley Winery. Three generations of Boydens had been milking cows at the Boyden farm prior to that. Rosé La JuJu continues the tradition of fine wines produced at the Winery. Named after their daughters, Juliette (JuJu) and Laurence, this Rosé is crafted from estate grown Frontenac and Cayuga White grapes. Rosé La JuJu is a fun and delicate dry wine, appealing to the pallet and to the eye with a soft pink hue.
Tasting Notes:
A dry French, Provential style Rose with nice tannins, vibrant acidity and flavors of black raspberry and raspberry.
Pairings:
Salmon
Sushi
Strawberry & Chevre Salad
Details:
Varietals: Frontenac & Cayuga
Alcohol: 12%
Residual Sugar: 0.50%
Total Acidity: 0.77 TAR
PH: 3.4
Cultivation:
We carefully tend our vineyards throughout the year from pruning in late winter to cultivate the most fruitful buds, canopy management mid-summer that will expose the leaves and produce the most healthy fruits, and harvesting our bounty in the fall. Learn More …
Land and Soil/Terrior
Our unique location in the Lamoille River Valley provides us with a unique climate and soil to produce a range of fruit that varies from delicate white wines and robust reds to rich and decadent Vermont Ice wines. Learn More …
Old World Wine Making Tradition:
We make our wines, ciders, and spirits using traditional, old world methods from hand harvesting our fruits to aging in French Oak barrels. Every product is crafted with care and attention to detail resulting in outstanding quality to please your palette. Learn More …
Meet the Winemaker
Tom Lambert, our winemaker and vineyard manager works tirelessly to create delicious wines, ciders, and spirits. His passion for the process from vine to bottle is evident in every sip, and he loves to experiment with new and unique fruits to our list of products forever growing! Learn More …
30 Days of Rosé | #15 | The Withers | Rosé of Grenache & Mourvèdre | 13.2% ABV | Mendocino County | 2016 | $20.99
Last year, we met Andrew Tow. He delighted us with his Cool climate wines from the Sonoma Coast and Sierra Foothills. We flipped the switch on going in big and haven’t looked back. The Withers Rosé of Grenache & Mourvèdre was one of the shooting stars last year – it streaked across our wine selection for a brief time, oohed and aahed customers, then was gone as quickly as it arrived. Rein in your bottle of the 2016 vintage while you can catch one, and let your palate ride other Withers wine in our domestic red blend and Pinot Noir sections.
Our 2016 Rosé is a dead ringer for a classic Bandol, highlighted by the color, flavors and aromas of apricot, cherry, watermelon rind nectarine and peach. The wine is buttressed by strong balancing acidity, with excellent tension and lift over its medium bodied, layered and textured frame. Balanced and elegant, it is best served at cellar temperature and can be paired with oysters, shellfish, seafood, pasta and fowl. It will be enjoyable immediately on release but should improve in bottle for 3-5 years.
145 cases made
61% Mourvèdre
39% Grenache
13.2% Alcohol
A True Story
It started off simply enough. Our original goal was to make a few barrels of wine that we would be proud to drink and serve to friends and family. Once we did so, it immediately became more complicated because the response was overwhelmingly positive. So here we are today, having created a wine label that reflects the types of wines we originally set out to make for ourselves, but now make for you. This project has enabled us to pursue many things we love at the same time – making great wines at reasonable prices, conducting ourselves with and collaborating with others who share our goal of social and environmental responsibility, engaging in philanthropy, and equestrian pursuits. We try to pursue all of these avenues surrounded by friends and loved ones and wine is inevitably involved. Key to our mission is supporting local growers and communities and the environment through sharing a percentage of our revenues with causes near and dear to our hearts.
Our aim is to produce elegant, nuanced, balanced, food friendly expressions of cool climate vineyard sites that don’t sacrifice flavor, complexity or intensity. For those wondering about our winery name, the withers is in many species the tallest point of the body. For horses, it is the place from which height is measured. We named our winery in the spirit of striving for heights in every aspect of our operation, and as a tribute to Mr.Burgess, the Irish Connemara pony who has been a member of our extended family for almost 15 years. The artwork on our label is an original illustration of Mr. Burgess drawn by a special young woman who has known our family and the horse since her childhood. He is a sensitive and beautiful animal willing to experiment with the many equestrian disciplines, having over time proven to be reliable and expert at every one.
We aim for the same concept in making wine; be unafraid of exploration and pursue heights of excellence across many disciplines, whether red, white or rosé and irrespective of varietal. What we seek in wine, friendships, music, and everything for which we have a passion is something to reach for, something that draws you in because it is not so obvious on its face, yet which intrigues you. Something that with patience yields an end result that builds from the first impression. Something familiar and evocative, yet which leaves you searching for descriptive words. Something soulful. In other words, we seek to produce qualities in our wines that we look for in every corner of our lives. So we embark on the journey, determined, enthusiastic and hopeful.
This project has been 35 years in the making. Years filled with collecting, sampling, enjoying, learning, and sharing. What we are doing today wouldn’t be possible without help from close friends; extremely talented people about whom we care and who have shared their knowledge, expertise and time. We consider ourselves very lucky to know such wonderful people, and to have them working with us going forward. Combining a personal passion for wine with the hard work involved in making it for others to enjoy requires a healthy respect for the challenges to being successful and for the process itself. We have that respect, and believe that the most important element will always be working with vineyards which produce the high quality fruit from which every fine wine must come, then letting it speak for itself without attempting to alter its true character. I hope you will take an interest in what we are doing, share your true stories with us, and most of all, enjoy our wines with friends, colleagues, and loved ones!
Cheers,
– Andrew Tow | Founder
Where We Grow
Our Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre growers tend sites in the increasingly well known Sierra Foothills region as well as Mendocino County. Our Sierra Foothills growers tend vineyards in higher elevation, cool climate locations that enable the grapes to ripen evenly and beautifully while experiencing cool mornings and evenings, which serve to moderate sugar, and therefore alcohol levels in our wines without sacrificing flavor. The resulting wines are food friendly, balanced and nuanced, with distinct and penetrating varietal flavors.
Who We Are
Andrew Tow | Founder
Mr. Tow has a long background in the media and telecommunications industries, and a longer love for everything about wine. He has a passion for his wife and three children, live music, and the outdoors, as well as understated wines of balance and flavor. While this is his first venture as a winery owner, he has formed many relationships in the industry over 35 years of travel, shared experiences, and common values. Kathleen Tow | General Manager
Mrs. Tow, Mr. Tow’s wife of 26 years, is responsible for customer and distributor relations as well as the mailing list and wine clubs. She is an accomplished equestrian focusing on dressage riding and working daily with Mr. Burgess, the gray horse whose image appears on our wine label. Mrs. Tow is involved in all aspects of the winery and its operations. David Low | Winemaker
Mr. Low is an accomplished and acclaimed winemaker, having served in various capacities at William Selyem Winery, as Assistant Winemaker at Papapietro Perry Winery, and as Co-Founder and Winemaker at the award winning Anthill Farms Winery. He has had a hand in crafting many distinctive and highly rated cool climate Pinot Noirs and Rhone Varietals, as well as Whites and Rosés. Tyson Freeman
Mr. Freeman is an experienced winemaker and cellar manager, having worked at Papapietro Perry Winery in various capacities. Mr. Freeman is responsible for sourcing grapes, vineyard and cellar management and assisting Mr. Low in various capacities throughout the cycle of making, cellaring, and bottling our wine.
30 Days of Rosé | #14 | A Tribute To Grace | Rosé of Grenache | Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard | 2016 | 13.1% ABV | $23.99
Number 14 of our 30 Days of Rosé is one of the most sought after Rosé wines we get – A Tribute To Grace.
Only a handful of cases of this muchly sought after Rosé make it’s way over from Angela, most of it is instantly snapped up by people in the industry and repeat customers waiting for it.
This wine quickly sells itself every year without marketing itso if you want a bottle (which you do!!) of Angela’s Rosé, get yours before they are gone!
From the bottle:
This wine is a tribute to Grace, my Grandmother, whose quiet strength and guidance has taught me the true meaning of her name. As my own journey unfolds, grace has become me most revered of nature’s atributes, thus making Grenache the perfect medium.
A Tribute To Grace Wine Company is dedicated to crafting authentic expressions of Grenache.
All wines are single-vineyard sourced to maintain authenticity, and remain 100% Grenache.
Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard, Cuyama Valley, Santa Barbara County
The Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard is situated 33 miles east of Santa Barbara, in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Sitting at 3200 feet elevation, the setting is home to sand, brush, exposed rock, and the odd dingo-type wild dog. And grapes. On my first visit to the vineyard (as pictured in this photo), my mother and I were driving the 33-highway route north from Ojai and were beginning to wonder if we had indeed entered the famed Ojai vortex, so foreign was the setting. We hadn’t seen a single soul in over an hour – in fact nothing living save the odd Matilija mountain Poppy. Upwards we continued to climb, until finally we rounded yet another hairpin-bend and both gasped. Nestled below, amidst a vast sea of sand, were row upon row of vibrant vines.
And so is the setting for this incredible vineyard. Arid and blazing hot in the summertime, snow-laden and sleepy in the wintertime. Not that the summer months see an influx of people, I believe the permanent population of Ventucopa is 59…
I have an ongoing lease of three rows in this remarkable vineyard, which is owned by Laetitia Vineyard and Winery, and nurtured by their famed vineyard manager Lino Bozzano. The entire vineyard is managed sustainably, and planted according to particular site-specificity. Although there are a total of 12 varieties planted, the Grenache plantings represent only 4% of the total vineyard – with five different Grenache clones planted. I am one of five winemakers currently producing wine from this block, and the difference in the wines we each produce speaks volumes as to the part man plays in winemaking.
~ Grace’s Story ~
I am a New Zealand born winemaker who moved to California in 2006 with the dream of making Grenache. In the land from which I stem, the climate is too cool to ripen this sun-loving beauty. And so began my search: northern Spain, southern France, southern Australia, California…
Abundant sunshine and entrepreneurial spirit led me to the latter, and in 2007 I sourced my first Grenache fruit from the Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard. Nestled high above the Pacific Ocean and 33 miles inland, this high-desert vineyard provided the perfect balance of heat and light I sought.
I chose to name my label after two of my favourite things: my Grandmother Grace, and my most beloved attribute. My winemaking intention is to capture this spirit, and stay as close to nature as humanly possible. The trio is completed by the grape itself, which to me encapsulates grace.
My first Thanksgiving in California in 2006 saw me strolling the sands of Moonlight Beach, Encinitas. I was thinking of my Nana Grace, and how much she would love this american tradition ~ and was drawn to write ‘grace’ in the sand with the big toe of my right foot. When I stood back and looked at it, I realized this would be my label: a tribute to grace.
Luckily for me, my dear and most talented friend Nicole Sykes advised me against using this actual image for my label, and instead provided the graceful design that has adorned each bottle since 2007. The Queen Anne’s Lace motif comes from a dried flower she found in a Dublin vintage market, symbolizing simplicity, femininity and the circle of grace.
30 Days of Rosé | #13 | Sokol Blosser | Estate Cuvée Rosé | Pinot Noir | Dundee Hills, Oregon | 12% ABV | 2016 |17.99
Lucky number 13 is one of our favorite non-sparkling rosé wines! We’ve been to multiple industry tastings, and we both agreed it was a solid top 3 rosé for both of us, and a number 1 for one of us. At under $20 a bottle, this fresh, stunner of a rosé is one of the outstanding gems in our 2017 selection. Enjoy this invigorating rosé – we sure do!!
Our classic dry rosé is made from organic pinot noir grapes from two different sections of our Estate. The grapes were hand harvested and de-stemmed, and we soaked the juice on the skins for four to six hours before pressing. We maintained an extended, slow, cool fermentation to preserve the lively fruitiness and delicate floral aromas. The fermentation was stopped with just a hint of residual sugar to balance the firm acidity, resulting in a wine that is crisp, vibrant, and refreshing.
Dedication, Quality and Concern for People, Planet and Profit –
From the start, the Sokol Blossers were aware of the impact that farming and wine production would have on the environment. Before it was popular, the winery did everything it could to give back to the land. Today, the second generation winegrowers of Sokol Blosser continue this ‘good to the earth’ policy through certified-organic farming, sustainable business practices and low impact packaging. In fact, in 2002 Sokol Blosser became the first US winery to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification. In April 2015, the company went through the rigorous process to become a Certified B Corporation.
Sokol Blosser Is Now A Certified B Corporation –
Sokol Blosser has always strived to be a leader in sustainable practices and is proud to be a Certified B Corporation. For many years, we have evaluated our business success through a holistic approach to managing our bottom line: the triple bottom line – people, planet and profit. Achieving B Corp certification further establishes our commitment through measurable high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. To achieve this certification, we underwent a rigorous evaluation to measure the social and environmental impact of our business. As a Certified B Corporation we are proud to join a community of 1,200 companies from more than 121 industries in 41 countries.
Our devotion to world class quality is paralleled by a desire to achieve it sustainably.
We pursue sustainable practices in all phases of our business, as our B Corp Certification supports. This commitment to the earth, people and business will continue as long as the winery is in operation.
We farm our estate vineyards organically and received full USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) organic certification in 2005 and are certified through Oregon Department of Agriculture.
We use 50% biodiesel in our farm tractors and trucks.
We have a 25kW solar panel system and purchase renewable wind power from PGE.
We use a no-waste, energy efficient crossflow filter on our white wines.
We recycle everything we can, from office paper to pallet shrink wrap.
We use unbleached paper products for labels, wine boxes and gift bags whenever possible.
We are a member of the Prescott Western Bluebird Recovery Project.
Vineyard plantings of lavender, yarrow, rudbeckia, and Russian sage help to provide habitats for beneficial insects and expand our vineyard ecosystem.
Our underground barrel cellar, built to US Green Building Council standards, became the first winery building in the country to earn the prestigious LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
30 Days of Rosé | #12 | Effusion | Moussé Fils | Champagne Rosé | 2016 | $47.99
We sift through well over 1,000 wines a year to pluck the best to share with you – it’s hard work!
We have an extensive selection of sparkling Rosé and were not looking at all to add another one, especially if it would retail at over $500 a case.
Moussé Fils whipped our heads around, sent us into a tizzy, and we HAD to have it.
We mulled over dozens of reasons to not buy it, head, heart, and palate battled – our visceral senses won over our brains because Moussé Fils was too delicious to not bring in.
With only a couple exceptions, we’d rather drink this any other sparking wine we’ve ever had under $150 which is saying a lot considering everything we’ve had over the years.
Skip the big commercial brands, and grab a bottle of Moussé Fils for brunch, special celebration or casual occasion.. or hint hint nudge nudge… the next time you want delight your partner (or treat yourself – we know you deserve it!).
At $47.99, Moussé Fils punches twice above it’s weight class for flavor and pleasure. To say the least, this one is a stunner.
It’s hard not to be too enthusiastic about this wine. We’ll stop talking and let you explore it.
In case you didn’t notice, we plainly hardcore ♥ Effusion Moussé Fils Champagne Rosé.
You’ll find Champagne Moussé Fils in the heart of the Marne River valley in the village of Cuisles where, since 1923, perfecting the art of growing Meunier and bringing it to the peak of its potential has been the guiding principle of everything we do.
Our vineyards are spread out across 4 different villages yet all of them are on the same hillside; an unusual characteristic that is reflected in all of our champagnes.
Our family has been making champagne for 4 generations now and we’ve been growing vines from as long ago as 1750 so you can understand why we attach so much importance to looking after the environment. We want to ensure that our champagnes reflect all the character and personality of our vineyards and to achieve that we pay the most scrupulous attention to each stage of the wine making to ensure that everything is done as naturally as possible.
Our Principles
Use of the natural light
No chemical weeding
We use plants to protect other plants
Horse ploughing
Wood diseases treatment with perfusions of essential oils
We use the latest light-weight bottles to reduce CO2 emissions
Much of our water comes from natural springs
When old vines are dug up they are used for household heating
The cellars are temperature controlled using a soil-air heat exchanger
Protecting the vines and taking care of the environment
Each building produces its own hot water from solar panels
Chilling of the wine in a natural way
Planting seeds following the moon’s cycle
Tractor’s decontamination in a specialized washing station
Growing grass in the vines in Autumn to improve soil quality
Mirror-finished tank to save water
Self-sufficient in electricity
Eco-conceived storehouse
« We do not inherit the earth from our parents, we borrow it from our children ». – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Moussé Fils | Champagne Rosé | 2016
Cépage: 92% Meunier 8% Pinot Noir
Assemblage: Blend of solera 2003-2014 and 12% red Wine from Meunier
Info/Source: Sourced from vineyards in Cuisles, Jonquery, Châtillon-sur-Marne and Olizy.
Vines: 25 years old on average.
Malo: Yes
Elevage: Oak and stainless steel tank
Sur Lees: 16 months
Region: Champagne
Appellation: Vallee de la Marne
Color: Rosé
Farming Practice: Practicing Organic
What are the origins of Meunier?
It’s a more rustic variation of its genetic parent Pinot Noir and was called Meunier, without the word Pinot, so as to avoid confusion between the two.
Where does the name Meunier come from?
According to reference books about grape vines it seems that the name comes from the characteristic, soft, white coating on the leaves that makes them look as though they’ve been covered in flour, hence the name Meunier which means Miller in English.
These days Meunier has a good reputation, but that hasn’t always been the case. Why is that?
Meunier was often disparaged when used on its own and for years it was shunned by the big champagne houses. It was only Henri Krug who sang its praises. In the 1970s there was even a premium paid for what were called ‘Noble Grapes’ but it applied only to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Fortunately, for the past few years, Meunier has been regaining its reputation and today it’s considered to be the perfect varietal for blending. You only have to look at the great Meunier champagnes of René Collard to see the truth of this.
Why is Meunier the preferred varietal at Champagne Moussé Fils ?
Our family has been growing Meunier for 12 generations and every generation has believed in its vast potential. I wanted to give Meunier the respect it deserves and to show lovers of fine champagne that Meunier can produce wines of the utmost finesse. Our motto “Deeply Meunier” is the perfect illustration of that ambition and the perfect reflection of our wines: fine, elegant, and fruity.
30 Days of Rosé | #11 | Emmanuel & Thierry Delaille | Cheverny Rosé | Vin de Pays du Val de Loire | 2016 | $14.99
Ah wine from Cheverny… white, red, or rosé, is a rising star in our French wine section. We’re mesmerized not just by the superb balance and sensory experience of these wines, but also because we’ve personally met with the makerswho carefully harvest the grapes, make the wine, and ship it over to us in this small community. We are most delighted to not just support our friends who responsibly craft these craveable wines, but to share their labor of liquid love with you.
Domaine du Salvard has been a working domaine since 1898, through five hardworking generations of the Delaille family.Today, all forty-two hectares of vineyards are farmed by the capable brother team of Emmanuel and Thierry Delaille, with help from their father Gilbert. To our delight, they have carried on the traditions established by their ancestors, producing a true, classic Cheverny that is both simple and elegant.The Delaille brothers have focused their attention on growing fresh, lively Sauvignon Blanc, deeply rooted in the sand, clay, and limestone plains of northeastern Touraine. Pinot Noir, Gamay, and Cot constitute their red grape holdings, creating youthful reds with great aromatics. Gilbert and his sons have also made their own contributions to the heritage of the domaine, including the introduction of sustainable farming practices into the vineyards, as well as temperature-controlled vinification equipment to the winery.
Until finally achieving A.O.C. status in 1993, Cheverny was widely regarded as one of the best V.D.Q.S. (Vin de Qualité Superieur) of the Loire. However, some argue that this A.O.C.-in-waiting designation was a political maneuver by the I.N.A.O. to keep Cheverny’s delicious, sprightly Sauvignon Blanc out of competition with the other more famous appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Kermit was the first to discover the charm and value of Cheverny back in 1978 when he imported the Domaine Jean Gueritte. He took on the Cheverny of Domaine du Salvard in 1992, a year before the status change in the appellation. We continue to tout the domaine’s wine as one of the greatest values for Sauvignon Blanc perfection.
VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION
All wines are vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel cuves
All wines age on fine lees in stainless steel tanks and are bottled unfiltered
Rosé is 50% free-run juice, 50% pressed
65% Pinot Noir / 35% Gamay
The proliferation of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides in the 1950shas made France the single largest consumer of phyto-chemicals in Europe today. The subsequent degradation of the soil has ensued, killing off the necessary microbiotic lifeforms that support healthy soils. Lutte raisonnée, literally “reasoned fight” (in French), or “supervised control” (in English), is a reaction to the use of such chemicals, regarded as a pragmatic approach to farming,where chemical treatments are used only when absolutely necessary. Biodiversity in the vineyards is encouraged through the planting of cover crops, rigorous plowing of the soils, and the use of manures and natural composts to fertilize the vines. Some growers use this as a first step towards full organic farming. Others find it a happy medium between conventional methods and the stricter demands dictated by organic certifying agencies. There is a wide berth of interpretation concerning these methods. Some farmers work through certifying agencies such as Terra Vitis, following a specific set of specifications and requirements.Others farm independently, following organic methodologies, and reserving treatments only when conditions are optimal (for example, when there is no wind). Zoologists have introduced more environmentally-friendly concepts such as integrated pest management, or hormone confusion, which prevents the reproduction of certain pests that may threaten the vines. The reduction of sprays not only contributes to the health of the vines and the greater ecosystem, but also to the health of the winegrowers(who account for the largest percentage of cancer cases among farmers).
If you revel in Chinon Rosé like us, we encourage you to explore Chinon, the first installment in our 30 Days of Rosé!
We carefully tend our vineyards throughout the year from pruning in late winter to cultivate the most fruitful buds, canopy management mid-summer that will expose the leaves and produce the most healthy fruits, and harvesting our bounty in the fall. Learn More …
Our unique location in the Lamoille River Valley provides us with a unique climate and soil to produce a range of fruit that varies from delicate white wines and robust reds to rich and decadent Vermont Ice wines. Learn More …
We make our wines, ciders, and spirits using traditional, old world methods from hand harvesting our fruits to aging in French Oak barrels. Every product is crafted with care and attention to detail resulting in outstanding quality to please your palette. Learn More …
Tom Lambert, our winemaker and vineyard manager works tirelessly to create delicious wines, ciders, and spirits. His passion for the process from vine to bottle is evident in every sip, and he loves to experiment with new and unique fruits to our list of products forever growing! Learn More …
