Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
One of the truest pink wines in the market, the 2016 Ojai Vineyard Rosé exhibits a lively cranberry aroma and a crisp and tart palate presence. The wine's superb acidity makes it an ideal match with fresh salmon sashimi. (Tasted: May 11, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Rose is a beautiful, salty, light colored and juicy rosé that does everything right. Racy and crisp on the palate that is built around a core of sweet fruit, this beauty makes you salivate for another glass.
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.