Rosé – Deep Red Cellar

Jumping into Rosé Season

It’s pretty easy to jump into rosé season. With the release of rosé comes warmer weather, chirping birds and people clawing out of their winter holes.

For me, it also means a delivery from Lauren Ashton Cellars (LAC). I love the opportunity to write about Lauren Ashton rosé because every year it is perfection in a bottle and every year LAC kick’s off this wine with their Release The Rosé party in conjunction with a charitable cause. It’s their opportunity to give back locally and to get the community involved.

This year LAC owner/winemaker Kit, wife Riinu and the team have chosen Bellevue Lifespring as their charitable recipient. A portion of the proceeds from the release weekend sales will go to Bellevue Lifespring, a local, non-profit organization that helps children through programs that provide food, clothing, education and emergency assistance. That means food when children are hungry, clothes when children go back to school, and scholarships to help students stay on track….just to name a few.

So what’s this wine all about….

To me this wine screams Provence (style). It’s fresh, crisp, dry and highly pleasant. A well thought out blend of grenache, mourvedre, counoise and cinsault with a nose of bubblegum, strawberry and delicate floral. The palate is a combination of juicy watermelon, raspberry and strawberry. Pink grapefruit and a hint of minerality hit on the back while bright acid along with composed tannins bring the wine into balance. A vibrant expression of summer in a bottle.

If jumping into rosé season is your thing (and it should be), you can do so at Lauren Ashton’s Release the Rosé party. Bring your friends, enjoy some wine and help a great cause April 13, noon – 8pm & April 14, noon – 5pm. If you’re not in Washington, don’t fret. You may miss the party but the wine is still releasing to you too!

Release the Rosé Party, Lauren Ashton Tasting Room: 14545 148th Avenue NE, Suite 211 Woodinville, WA 98072, Phone: 425-445-7171

website: http://www.laurentashtoncellars.com

Rosé All The Way

I love this time of year. Rosé is being released and I get to be on the receiving end of it, thanks to Lauren Ashton Cellars! The release of Lauren Ashton Cellars (LAC) rosé comes with a bit more anticipation though. You see, every year owners Kit and Riinu along with the Lauren Ashton team get together and select a beneficiary to receive a portion of the proceeds from the rosé sales during their release event. This year, “Release the Rosé” is taking place on April 21-22 in the LAC tasting studio (love the usage of “studio” – so much more chic than “room”) and proceeds are going to Northshore Schools Foundation. Northshore Schools Foundation is a non-profit charity that enriches the educational experience for students, supports teachers and makes a meaningful contribution to public education and the community by raising funds, building partnerships and filling educational gaps in line with District priorities. I think we can all agree that any organization with a desire to contribute to the positive growth of children is a great thing.

Reflecting winemaker Kit’s approach of making French style wine, the 2017 rosé is a blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, and 20% Counnoise. On the nose, this rosé is a delightful fusion of strawberry, watermelon and pink grapefruit mingling with zesty orange and white flowers. The palate brings out more of the same and is enhanced by pleasing, bright licorice flavors.

LAC rosé sold out of the previous vintage quickly so much anticipation has surrounded this new release. In the past, the release weekend has sold over 400 bottles of LAC rosé and hopes are to surpass that this year. If you would like to purchase a bottle…or case of this beautiful rosé all while helping a great cause, click here .

Release the Rosé!

Lauren Ashton Cellars has become wildly popular for their Rosé. They’ve been sold out of the previous vintage for months and much anticipation has surrounded the release of their 2016 vintage which is set to release April 22-23 at their tasting studio in Woodinville, Washington.

Winemaker and owner Kit Singh along with his wife and co-owner Riinu Rammal are part of a growing number of wineries who love giving back and decided since the release of their Rosé was so popular they would include the community and incorporate a charitable element to their Rosé release event, “Release the Rosé.” A portion of the proceeds from the sales during the Rosé release weekend will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Puget Sound chapter. I love when this sort of out pouring of generosity happens in the wine industry.

So about this Rosé….

Wow, is it beautiful! It’s a blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Counnoise from Columbia Valley. The wine is bright, fresh and well balanced with flavors of strawberry, raspberry, watermelon, ripe white peach with a delicate floral note. Last night, I paired it with pork carnitas from pinch of yum and the flavors played off of each other delightfully!

If you find yourself in the Woodinville area during their “Release the Rosé” event, I highly recommend picking up some fantastic wine and supporting this great cause, it’s a win-wine (see what I did there)!

Here’s the Deets:

Release the Rosé – April 22-23, 2017 located at Lauren Ashton Cellars tasting room in Woodinville’s Hollywood District at 14545 148th Avenue NE, Suite 211, Woodinville WA 98072.

*Guests can pre-order the 2016 Rosé here.

Christmas Dinner Wine

You may feel like you have just cleaned up Thanksgiving dishes but before you know it, Christmas dinner will be on the table! If you are assigned to bring wine, keep reading!

The only real requirement for pairing wine, in my opinion, is to drink what you like. Of course, when you’re in charge of choosing for many people with a vast array of food, it can be difficult to figure out the wine to satisfy everyone. The best way to ensure happiness is to choose wine that pleases many palettes. A decent solution is wine that hits in the middle – medium acid, medium tannins, medium body.

If you would like some guidance, consider these styles options ranging from light to heavy depending on your menu:

Rosé – a light bodied, off-dry to dry wine that can vary depending on grape variety and production. Rosé pairs well with the plentiful lineup of holiday accompaniments, but probably a bit delicate for beef or lamb.

Gamay – you may have heard this grape variety cropping up at Thanksgiving tables under the name “Beaujolais Nouveau.” It is fruit filled with huckleberry, raspberry, violet and maybe even banana. If you want quality, look for Gamay from a designated Beaujolais Cru: Brouilly, Chénas, Cóte De Brouilly, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-Á-Vent or Régnié.

Pinot Noir – cool climate Pinot Noir is the way to go. It will be leaner and pair well with many foods. Oregon has exceptional Pinot Noirs but pass on the “jammy” ones. Look for medium bodied, low to medium tannin, medium acid Pinot Noirs where you’ll find flavors such as cranberry, clove and mushroom.

Barbera – I’m a big fan. It pairs well with a myriad of foods, is enjoyable on it’s own and pleasing to many. You’ll find flavors like sour cherry, licorice, blackberry, and dried herbs. Italy is it’s greatest producer. Look for Barbera d’Alba, Barbera d’Asti or Barbera del Monferrato.

Cabernet Sauvignon – This is a classic wine for good reason. It is full bodied, elegant and can pair nicely with beef and lamb. Flavors of black cherry, black currant, blackberry, tobacco, and black pepper will make this wine the perfect accompaniment for the heartier fare.

Now go out there and enjoy your holiday…and please, drink responsibly!by