The Rise of Rosé – by Amira Makansi – Southern Oregon Wine Scene

The Rise of Rosé – by Amira Makansi

Jun 21

in Articles
Tags amira makansi, Cliff Creek, Herby Quady, Quady North, Rachael Martin, Red Lily Vineyards, Rosé Wine, Ruth Garvin

Imagine this scene: It’s a hot summer evening in the Rogue Valley. You come home from work and the patio is calling your name. You open the fridge, looking for a cold drink. What do you reach for? The answer, of course, is rosé. Crisp, juicy and revitalizing, rosé wines are the perfect thing to keep you refreshed all summer long.

Rosé today is a far cry from the saccharine White Zinfandel of yesteryear. As more American winemakers craft their rosés in a dry, European style, consumers are taking note, and rosé has surged in popularity. In Southern Oregon, we are fortunate to have a number of winemakers creating a wide variety of thoughtful rosés, giving everyone something to try.

At Quady North in Jacksonville, owner Herb Quady is strongly influenced by Provençal rosés from southern France. “I fell in love with rosé when I visited Bandol in 1994,” Quady says. Twenty years later, his Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre Rosé has been fine-tuned into a delicate, fruit-forward expression of Rogue Valley terroir. “We use grapes from a dozen vineyards,” winemaker Brian Gruber says. “It truly is a pan-Southern Oregon blend.” For Quady and Gruber, making rosé is about intentionality. “We’ve spent years developing sites specifically for rosé,” Quady says. “You can tell when the fruit is grown for rosé by the clarity and brightness of the wine.” Their 2017 GSM Rosé is an elegant, ballerina pink, with aromas of almost-ripe strawberries, white flower and citrus zest.

Rosé is made differently from red or white wine. Grapes for white wines are immediately pressed and fermented as juice, while red grapes ferment on the skins for anywhere from a few days to many weeks. But rosé falls somewhere in between. Winemaker Vince Vidrine of Ashland’s Irvine & Roberts Vineyards offers insight into the process. “We start by picking the rosé blocks for higher acidity and lower sugar.” After destemming, “we leave the juice to macerate for a number of hours and taste throughout the day. We then press carefully, looking for the perfect nexus between flavor, texture and fruit aroma.” The goal, Vidrine says, is “to create a wine that’s effortless.” By that standard, they have succeeded. The 2017 Irvine & Roberts Rosé of Pinot Noir is vividly pink, with a smooth, elevated texture and aromas of crushed raspberries, strawberries and peach blossom.

At Red Lily Vineyards in the Applegate Valley, owner and winemaker Rachael Martin is aiming for a different style. “I love big reds,” she says. “So our rosé has a little more punch.” Their Lily Girl Rosé is named after Martin’s daughter, and the label features a drawing by the titular Lily from when she was eight. The wine inside is no shrinking violet: Tempranillo balances with floral Grenache and vibrant Graciano to create a full-bodied rosé with structure and acidity, tasting of dark cherry and plum, sure to please even Martin’s fellow fans of hearty reds.

It is impossible to talk about rosé in Southern Oregon without mentioning Cliff Creek, where owner Ruth Garvin excitedly announced that their 2017 Pink Pink, a rosé of Cabernet Franc from their Sam’s Valley Vineyard, was awarded 93 points and a gold medal in the 2018 Experience Rosé competition in Healdsburg. Pink Pink is part of Cliff Creek’s Red Red Wine Project, wherein 5% of all sales are donated to OHSU’s Knight Cancer Research Institute. Content in the knowledge that your dollars are going to a good cause, it’s even easier to justify relaxing with a glass of rosé.

With rosés gaining in quality and popularity, and local producers crafting gems to tempt even the most hesitant drinkers, there’s never been a better time to enjoy these wines. So get out there and experiment to find your favorite style, and pick up a bottle (or several) to share on the patio with your friends.

©Southern Oregon Wine Scene

Summer 2018 issue

Find your favorite Rosé at these wineries!