Winemaker Notes
Preserved lemon, sandalwood and starfruit.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 A Tribute to Grace Rosé of Grenache is one of the best rosé wines in the known world. TASTING NOTES: This wine is pretty in its light pastel appearance and delicious with its brightness. Pair its aromas and flavors mineral, dried fruits, and flowers with a serving of unagi. (Tasted: May 24, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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Jeb Dunnuck
Provençal notes of orange blossom, citrus, and salted herbs emerge from the 2018 Grenache Rosé Of Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard (100% Grenache), and it's medium-bodied, crisp, and balanced on the palate. This is a beautiful, dry, Provençal rosé that has loads to love. Drink it over the coming summer months.
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Wine & Spirits
Angela Osborne makes this wine from a vineyard 33 miles east of Santa Barbara, where the vines grow in sand at an elevation of 3,200 feet. It’s a delicate rosé, from its salmon-rose-gold color to the lasting bright strawberry crunch of its fruit. That fruit sweetness will take on pulled pork, or the ma-la heat of Sichuan minced pork with pickled long beans.
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.
With a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.