Winemaker Notes

There is a tender spot in my heart for pink wine. (This is spoken by a man who is very secure with respect to his gender issues.) As a genus, pink wine is seldom taken seriously and yet vin en rose is capable of offering among the most blissful moments that a mere alcoholic beverage can provide. Producing a great pink wine is generally a thankless task, it must be said. When it works, people are pleased but generally remain mute. When it is less than brilliant, punters rosaphobic prejudices are simply confirmed. Somewhere in the process of making pink wine, you are faced with the forking path of maximizing fruitiness and the optimization of complexity. When in doubt, go for everything, perhaps best typifies our attitude here at Bonny Doon. The wine was left on its lees, which were periodically stirred; this has added complexity and a wonderful creaminess of texture. At the same time, the wine has retained its fructive supremacy - wild strawberry and shockingly vivid guava are the dominant tones, complemented by more discreet suggestions of peach and (what else) pink grapefruit. Our pink is a highly nuanced proprietary blend and strongly Syrah dominant - I can tell you that much under the Freedom of Vinformation Act - and as such, it is quite spicy, pleasingly peppery and saturated with the sap of spring. Varietal Composition: Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault, Pinot Meunier, Charbono, Dolcetto
Bonny Doon

Bonny Doon

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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.

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Central Coast

California

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The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.

Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.

While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.

VIN11602_1999 Item# 10157