An Evening of Beach Rose

This post can really be summed up as such:  “Bottle Porn.”

Last night after a long hot day on the beach, we had time to sit on the screened porch and sip rose before dinner.  Beach house mates brought their Afton Mountain club pickup with them which included a wonderful 2018 rose.  There was a lot of tart cherry flavor in this, and it was nice dry and crisp rose.  We thoroughly loved this and fairly quickly killed the bottle.  I will need to make my way to Afton Mountain in the near future.

They’ve got good stuff.  I had their sparkling wine in the past, and it’s amazing, so a return trip is forthcoming.

The main event was dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, and while this was NOT a virginia rose, it is still an incredible one – a rose of grenache.  I saw in on the menu and got excited.  This rose did not disappoint.

The deep copper color was intense.  And it had the same depth in flavor, with a little less acidity to it and more of a plum/ raspberry flavor in the mouth.  This wine blew me away, and it’s one I am going to search out and find somewhere somehow.  If you can find it, get it.

To quote from their website:

This ain’t no ‘rose all day’ kind of affair. Save this one when the light goes out, turn up the Miles Davis playlist, and see where the evening takes you…(DRINK NOW: did you hear me? now. CELLAR: Let’s not kid ourselves here, you don’t have the patience to cellar this).

I sure wouldn’t and believe me, I’m looking to find this somewhere.  It’s not Virginia, but this had shocking presence and pleasantness, and is a great example of what good winemakers can do. (If the Paso Robles winemaker reads this, s/he may scoff at my elevation of Virginia wine.  That’s ok.

Pippin Hill rose is on the menu today, so get ready, we’re waiting for two more houseguests for the Sauvignon Blanc taste-off…