Archive for the 'Rosé of Syrah' Category

Summer Pink

Published
by
joanie
on May 8, 2008
in Articles on Wine and Vineyards, Joanie Hudson, New Releases and Rosé of Syrah
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Mass market American “blush” wines that were popular in the 1970s are a far cry from the dry and refreshing Rosés being produced today in California, Spain, Italy, and southwest France.  These pink wines are not to be confused with the cloying sweetness of grocery store boxed wines.  The resurgence of dry style Rosés in California has resulted in the production of a variety of styles that are a playful alternative for the summertime.

But what makes these wines pink?  How are they different from red and white wines?  I hear these questions often.  Red wines get their deep color and tannin from being fermented on their skins to extract color and tannin.  White wines are produced by immediately pressing the juice off of the skin to minimize contact between the two.  The next step is to ferment the freshly squeezed grape juice (aka the must).  During Rosé wine production, the juice is left in contact with the red skins for a short amount of time (anywhere from one to three days) resulting in its characteristic pink color.  Fermentation continues as a white wine, usually carried out in stainless steel tanks.  Rosés can be made from any variety of red grape — Syrah, Grenache, and Pinot Noir are popular here in Santa Barbara County.

Rose wines possess characteristics of white wine, making them popular as temperatures rise.  Stainless steel fermentation results in pleasantly light and crisp fruit qualities.  They are extremely versatile — popular by the glass as well as to accompany summer meals.  I personally think that Rosé wines can e drank all year round, especially in California because they also complement a variety of fall and winter root vegetables.

Our 2007 Rosé of Syrah is the fifth vintage Bruce McGuire has produced with grapes from the Hilltop Ranch vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills.  It is made from 100% Syrah grapes.  Plump strawberry and orange peel aromas are emerging with an extremely refreshing mid-palate fruit explosion and crisp acidity.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Santa Barbara Winery Tasting Room Manager

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Santa Barbara Winery New Release

Published
by
Pierre Lafond
on April 4, 2008
in New Releases, Rosé of Syrah and Wine News
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Santa Barbara Winery Rosé of Syrah

The 2007 vintage of our Rosé of Syrah marks the fifth consecutive vintage winemaker Bruce McGuire has made of this dry wine. A very nice milestone indeed because Santa Barbara Winery has been making rosé wines since the 1960’s utilizing grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir.

These wines were made in various years as we plumbed the public’s taste for rosé as a wine catagory and for particular styles that pleased not only our palate but enough folks to make this a commercially viable production. When Bruce first identified a section of Hilltop Ranch Vineyard as being particularly well suited to making rosé, we were becoming aware of a re-energized intrest in these wines as wine and food journalists seemed to be devoting much more time to the appreciation of rosé wines and their versatility in the world of food pairings.

To make a complete and mouth filling wine from Syrah is not an easy task. When Bruce harvests this aforementioned block of Syrah, the fruit is hand sorted and destemmed. The juice and skins are then given a “cold soak” overnight followed by a light pressing the next day before a cool fermentation in stainless steel.

This process preserves the electric color and the bright fruit flavors and aromas nicely balanced by firm acidity courtesy of the cold climate Sta. Rita Hills. A terrific wine to enjoy with all but the heartiest of foods, a simple lunch of cheese, cured meats, olives and bread is a favorite. Enjoy through the winter of 2009.

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Santa Barbara Winery 2007 Rosé of Syrah

Published
by
Pierre Lafond
on February 19, 2008
in Bottling, Rosé of Syrah and Wine News
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The image shows the bottle as it passes the corker. The Rosé of Syrah and the Riesling are the first to be bottled. The wines are not barrel aged and are ready for bottling once they have settled and become cold stable. Cold stabilization is done by chilling the wine to about 30F and waiting for the tartrates to drop out. The process of cold stabilization will take from two to three weeks.

Wikipedia has very good article on tartaric acid and, surprisingly, although mostly found in grapes, it is also in bananas.

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Chris Knap, Orange County Register, Santa Barbara Winery 2006 Santa Rita Hills Rosé of Syrah

Published
by
Pierre Lafond
on May 17, 2007
in Reviews, Rosé of Syrah and Wine News
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 Chris Knap, Wine Columnist for the Orange County Register,

“…First on the must-try list was this week’s wine, Santa Barbara Winery’s Rosé of Syrah. This is another gem from Bruce McGuire, winemaker for Santa Barbara and LaFond.

Normally when I am pontificating about these wines, you hear “dry, dry, dry,” but this wine tastes as if it retains a small amount of residual sugar, making it better with salads, slightly spicy fare like Thai chicken satay, sirloin marinated in a chimichurri sauce, or even beef tacos.

Like the Chilean rosé I wrote about a few weeks ago, McGuire destems the clusters and lets the juice and skins soak overnight before pressing the fruit off the skins.

Next comes temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel, the better to retain fruit flavors and stop fermentation before it’s bone dry.

The wine ends up with a cranberry color and flavors of tart strawberry and cherry. McGuire didn’t reveal the exact percentage of residual sugar, but it’s very small – the wine’s not sweet.

This is one of SB Winery’s small-lot wines, meaning only a few hundred cases were made and you’re not likely to find it outside the winery in Santa Barbara (or through its wine-club mailing).

As for me, it’s a good thing the marine layer rolled back in ’cause I’m fresh out of rosé. But don’t worry – I’ll be back with more of these in just a few weeks.”

Region: Santa Rita Hills

Varietal: Syrah

Price: $15

For entire article

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