By Winemaker Laura Barrett
In my first weeks as Winemaker at Clif Family Winery I got straight to work on finishing our very first vintage of Mendocino Rosé of Grenache. It was the 2014 vintage and 150 cases of very, very pale pink wine. It was fruity and delicious and sold out in just 3 weeks. From there, we began to build the program to what is now a 2000 case annual production and one of our most popular wines and anticipated releases.
Making Rosé is a lot of fun and always one of the highlights of my vintage. I harvest Grenache grapes from Mendocino County (just southeast of Ukiah) at low sugar and high acidity. From these red grapes, I process them like a white wine, sending half directly to the press for whole cluster pressing, and the other half to destem, soak overnight, and press the next day. The combined juice is fermented cold and aged in 100% stainless steel for 3 months before bottling in early January. The timing allows for the much-anticipated annual February release.
Seeing customers drinking bottles of Clif Family Rosé of Grenache on the first warm, sunny days of early Spring brings me so much joy. It’s an early sign of Spring and gets me excited for the summer days ahead. This wine bursts with fruit - ripe watermelon, strawberry, ripe peach, candied apple. The palate is bright, with mouthwatering acidity, subtle tannin in the middle, and refreshing fruit flavors on the long finish. It is perfect as a poolside sipper, an accompaniment to your charcuterie board, a wine pairing to a hearty first course salad or even beef carpaccio. And I always enjoy my last bottles alongside Thanksgiving dinner.
Rosé Pairings
Try out some of our favorite recipes paired with our Rosé of Grenache.
Avocado & Salmon TartareCauliflower Chickpea FrittersGrilled Shrimp & Asparagus SkewersHot Honey Fried Cauliflower Bites with Buttermilk Ranch Dip
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Making Rosé is a lot of fun and always one of the highlights of my vintage. I harvest Grenache grapes from Mendocino County (just southeast of Ukiah) at low sugar and high acidity. From these red grapes, I process them like a white wine, sending half directly to the press for whole cluster pressing, and the other half to destem, soak overnight, and press the next day. The combined juice is fermented cold and aged in 100% stainless steel for 3 months before bottling in early January. The timing allows for the much-anticipated annual February release.
Seeing customers drinking bottles of Clif Family Rosé of Grenache on the first warm, sunny days of early Spring brings me so much joy. It’s an early sign of Spring and gets me excited for the summer days ahead. This wine bursts with fruit - ripe watermelon, strawberry, ripe peach, candied apple. The palate is bright, with mouthwatering acidity, subtle tannin in the middle, and refreshing fruit flavors on the long finish. It is perfect as a poolside sipper, an accompaniment to your charcuterie board, a wine pairing to a hearty first course salad or even beef carpaccio. And I always enjoy my last bottles alongside Thanksgiving dinner.
