Peterson Donna Bella Rose 2013
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Enjoy this wine as an aperitif with an artisan cheese course or seared ahi, or a traditional paella with plenty of ham, sausage and seafood.
Composition: 56% Grenache, 31% Carigane, 13% Petite Sirah
Peterson Winery grew out of the vineyards that now supply us with grapes. That may seem unusual, but my background is not just in winemaking but it is also in grape growing, otherwise known as viticulture. That is why I refer to myself as a winegrower. For me making great wine is about the grapes -- where and how they were grown, what the weather conditions were and how the vineyards were managed during the growing season. Before I digress too much, let me give you a quick overview of how Peterson Winery came to be.
I came to Dry Creek Valley in 1983, working with my partner, Bill Hambrecht, to find and develop world-class vineyard properties. It was exciting to be able to select ideal vineyard locations and then plant the appropriate grape variety and clone for that growing region. Once the vineyards came into production, we had amazing fruit being produced in our Dry Creek Valley (Sonoma County) vineyards and our Mendocino County Floodgate Vineyard. The next step was a natural one. I wanted to make wine from the fruits of my labor. (Sorry about the pun, it was too good to pass up.)
In 1987, all the pieces fell into place and Peterson Winery was born. We now produce 5000 cases annually, mostly in small lots.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.