A Dozon Rosés
Whether you are yearning for a summer sipper, nightcap or a food match made in heaven kind of wine, a rosé within arms reach can ensure your taste buds have something to wine about.
Rosés can be made with any variety of red wine grape and can range in a plethora of pink shades. The wines can range from bone dry to sweet and can be still, semi-sparkling or sparkling.
The fun in getting to know rosé is that there are so many to experience. Here are a dozen of my favorites from Tri-Cities and Eastern Washington. Most #WAWine I purchase are directly from the winery and I'll note which ones you can find in retail spaces. You can also order directly from the winery's website, which will indicate if they can ship to your state.
Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese
This dry wine boosts ripe strawberry and pomegranate and can be found year-round in their Tri-Cities tasting room and retail outlets easily making it your go-to option. Father and daughter winemaking team, Rob Griffin and Megan Hughes have made this award-winning rosé consistently flavorful and it remains on high demand by wine lovers.
I have to mention a rosé that's made specifically for friends and summer. The Sashay label is the new label created by yours truly at Frichette Winery. This sweet rosé screams watermelon and rhubarb and is offered in the Frichette Tasting room and some key retailers including Roost in Moses Lake and Frost Me Sweet in Richland, WA.
This dry wine fermented in 100% stainless steel tastes like a spiced berry and blood orange wave leaving bright acid on the pallet and crisp flavor on the finish. Find this wine in retail locations and in their newest tasting room at Columbia Gardens in Kennewick, WA.
Hedges Family Estate DLD Le Rosé
This wine is described as an OMG kind of wine and I have to agree. From the herbaceous aromas on the nose to the honeydew melon on the palate, this wine will have you at first sniff. For an even better experience with this wine, visit their chateau right outside Benton City in the heart of #RedMountainAVA.
Off-dry and a mouth full of red fruit, this soft and smooth wine beg for afternoons on the patio and evenings surrounded by friends. Be sure to have a few bottles on hand because running out would be a real shame. Visit the tasting room to meet Co-winemaking husband and wife team Tim and Kelly Hightower and the real star, their beautiful yellow lab Riley.
Kiona Estate Red Mountain Rosé of Mourvedre
Let's talk watermelon jolly rancher and delicious red apples. This rosé uses Kiona's Estate wine grapes from their Red Mountain AVA vineyards. Winemaker Scott Williams created balanced sweetness and medium-plus acid to make this wine a must share with friends around the fire pit. This is Red Mountain's first family winery and you can even see their original basement tasting room on the way to the new facility that overlooks their vineyards. I'd love to enjoy this wine with Korean BBQ.
Longship Cellars Wild Harvest Rosé
Using Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre to round out the passion fruit and citrus aromas and watermelon on the palate, this wine is full of fruit with hints of minerality. Kyle and Cassie Welch run their beautifully chic and quaint tasting room in Richland, WA right off the riverwalk trail. Stop in to taste and purchase this wine, order online at $22 and if you are lucky, find in a few retail stores.
The nose on this wine is aromatically reminiscent of a walk through a flower patch. It follows through with floral flavors meshed with red fruit on the palate. The medium finish leaves you with a burst of fresh strawberries. I enjoyed a beautiful tasting experience before purchasing this wine from their Spokane tasting room.
Very little Pinot Noir is grown in WA and I love how Winemaker, Victor Palencia showcases the richness of this varietal when grown in great conditions. This off-dry wine can come off as sweet given its fruity and almost perfume flavors and at any rate, is an easy go-to for a Tuesday night easy drinker.
This lively and bright wine has medium acid and fruity finish. The easy screw cap option makes getting to the wine fast. Winemaker Kyle Johnson is a star at making both easy to drink wines and beautifully complex wines that you must savor. Their destination tasting room is located in Benton City.
Talk about drinking for a cause, Upsidedown donates a percentage of net proceeds to four non-profit organizations to further their impact in the world. Certainly buying this rosé will further the cause and satisfy your palate. With Winemaker Seth Kitzke making one of the only rosés of Nebbiolo in WA, this rosé draws on the tart and bright fruit and notes of minerality. Visit he and wife Audrey Kitzke's tasting room in Hood River, WA.
The minerality on the nose of this wine is captivating. It wraps the citrus and red fruit so well it's a balanced bouquet. On the palate, the wine feels soft and velvety showcasing bright pomegranate and minerality. The Walls is located in beautiful Walla Walla, WA.
If you have some favorite rosés, I'd love to hear about them so I can try them. There are so many wonderful ones made in Washington and so many ways to enjoy them. I'm sharing 12, but of course, my list can go on.
If you are considering visiting the #HeartofWAWine in the Tri-Cities, check out my recommendations for accommodations.