Always a nod to a classic “Provence-style" rosé, the 2024 vintage of this JM favorite reminds us that Spring has arrived and the promise of Summer is not far behind! Made from 100% Cinsault grapes grown in the impressive Wallula Gap Vineyard, this year we experimented with extended skin contact before pressing, resulting in a perfect, naturally pink hue for our rosé.

Aromas and flavors of sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb delight the senses making this wine a refreshing companion for PNW warm-weather adventures — whether you're boating, hiking, or paddleboarding along the lake. A soft finish encourages pairing this wine with classic seasonal dishes like grilled salmon, pasta salads, and picnic fare.

 

100% Cinsault

In the spring of 2024, Peggy and I had the opportunity to tour through Piedmont and Sicily in Italy. During our Sicily time we stopped at a small winery, Tenuta Valle delle Ferle, in a town called Caltagirone. They made three different wines: white, Rose, and Red, from one type of red grape, Frappoto. The white wine is made by pressing the whole cluster Frappoto grapes and draining the juice into a stainless-steel vat with no “skin” time. The skins of the grape contain anthocyanin, the element that gives red wine it’s color. The Rosé version of the Frappoto was soaked on skins for twelve hours prior to pressing into a separate vat for fermentation. The red wine was destemmed, foot stomped and fermented in a stainless-steel tank on skins for twelve days. The three wines each tasted very different and delicious even though each was made with the same grape. I was intrigued.

When the harvest of 2024 began last fall, I decided I would try the three different vinification techniques with our Cinsault grape. We used the exact technique described above and I am very proud of the resulting wines (see below). To our wine club members, I want to thank you for coming along for the ride on all our new adventures!

Cin Cin,

JB