30 Days of Rosé | #20 | Shelburne Vineyard | Whimsey Meadow Dry Rosé | 15% ABV | $14.99
After a couple of super exciting projects (new wine cave feature, new tags, and more) our 30 Days of Rosé feature continues!
Today, we are delighted to be featuring Whimsey Meadow Dry Rosé by our local friends at Shelburne Vineyard.
From the bottle: Each winter we spend many snowy afternoons in the winery reaming of summer and crafting the perfect blend for our Whimsey Meadow Dry Rosé. The result is a harmonious union of several of our Vermont grown grape varieties. This rosé is a bright addition to a day well spent, any time of year.
Tasting Comments: Every year, the bend for our Whimsey Meadow Rosé varies. For the 2016 vintage, we’ve combined along with Marquette, some Petite Pearl and Louise Swenson to create a rosé that is juicy and perfectly satisfying. It has a soft aroma of watermelon and ripe berries while the taste bursts with juicy, fresh red fruits and thirst quenching acidity.
Fruit Source:
71% Marquette (Shelburne Vineyard)
21% Petite Pearl (Shelburne Vineyard)
8% Louise Swenson (Shelburne Vineyard)
Food Parings:
Sweet and smoky barbecue
Grilled salmon
Double and triple creme cheeses
Strawberry salad with balsamic drizzle
Our Company Mission As one of the early pioneers in Vermont wine making, we strive to make the highest quality wines from locally grown northern varietal grapes. We continuously aim to deliver not only the best products but the most accommodating service so that all of our customers can enjoy their experience at Shelburne Vineyard to the fullest.
Our Sustainable Mission We have commitment to sustainable practices in all aspects of our business. In our vineyards we follow the Cornell University “Vine Balance” protocol. Our Winery and Tasting Room building is designed to LEED standards, and all products we use are specifically chosen with environmental sustainability in mind.
Our Community Mission We are dedicated to making a positive impact on our community. By involving ourselves in a number of local networks and hosting monthly fundraising events to benefit non-profit organizations, we aim to support our surrounding citizens and local businesses.
Bellalua is the pinnacle of all the Languedoc has to share: Passion, Know-how, and Joy for Life. This blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache boasts a magnificent pale color and aromas of violets, citrus, and peach tree flowers. The aromatic essence of Syrah ideally mingles with the sweet fruity Grenache, which combine to create a subtle wine that will transport you to the South of France. Enjoy it by itself or with all light fare dishes.
Every estates’ wines change from one year to another depending on the characteristics of the harvest, quality of wine making, even if is from the same producer and from the same terroir, each year’s batch is unique. Soil, weather, geology, varietals, and the style of wine making used, are all decisive yet variable factors that give each wine a unique character. I travel several times a year and visit every estate and try every wine I purchase. When you choose #besteurowines you choose the best taste and value for traditional small estate French and Spanish wines.
– JP Bourgeois
30 Days of Rosé | #17 | Mont Gravet | 100% Cinsault Rosé | Languedoc
We’ve been on a kick with featuring some of our luscious, moderately priced Rosé lately. Today, we are featuring Mont Gravet Cinsault Rosé for under $10… an incredible everyday Rosé for the price!
Mont Gravet Rosé
Pays d’Oc | Languedoc, France
Grape Variety: 100% Cinsault
12% ABV
$8.99
About the Producer
Close to the producers, and in order to source from the best vineyards, our winemaker has found some amazing “terroirs” in the South of France. The Languedoc climatic conditions allow a perfect maturation for the grapes which are moderated by the humid influence of the Mediterranean.
Mont Gravet Rosé comes from specially selected Cinsault vineyards in the Languedoc region, located near the warm Mediterranean shoreline in Southern France. The Cinsault variety is also one of the main varietals used in the production of Provence rosé and some of the best reds of the Southern Rhone Valley.
Winemaking
Harvested at night the grapes when it is coolest, the grapes undergo a modern winemaking process of 100% direct pressing with temperature carefully controlled and monitored through-out the entire production process. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks.
Tasting Notes
Mont Gravet Rosé is a wonderfully fresh and fruit forward dry Rosé wine. The wine has lovely aromas of raspberry and blackberry and is full body and long on the palate.
Food Match
This Rosé is a wonderful “anytime” wine and a delicious aperitif. It pairs well with a wide variety of foods, as it’s refreshing, savory and well-balanced. It will accompany beautifully any salads, fish, BBQ and white meat dishes.
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 | #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 | #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!
