Tag Archives: rose

Rosé Garden

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Rose GardenIt’s the most wonderful time of the year…rosé season. As the clock ticks closer to summer, you find yourself putting down the red and picking up the pink. From pale to dark, minerally to fruity, Provence to California, there is a rose to tickle anyone’s fancy.

Rosé has gotten a bad rep in recent times, but I am here to stand behind it. You may have remembered our Madonna Inn White Zinfandel pairing a while back and let’s get some shit straight. Most rosé, is not that sweet and bright pink drink you think of.

When I first started working at a wine shop, it was right around the start of rosé season.  I, like many others, didn’t know too much about it and didn’t “like” it because of its stigma. Grandmas, bad receptions, and hot pink, sickly sweet wine are a few thoughts that initially came to mind.

After trying our lineup of rosés (I know, the hardest job right?), I was able to experience it in its true delicate form. From then on, I was a believer.

As an ode to the glory that is rosé, we decided to “plant” our very own rosé garden over the weekend in Pasadena, just to show our readers how much we love this stuff. Plans for the week? I hope it involves some rose.
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Los Topos Rosé paired with a grey day in LA

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In Los Angeles the grey days are very few.  When the sun decides to hide behind the clouds, that is the time when people in LA are most likely to talk about the weather. The norm here is cloudless with the sun blazing, so you could imagine why everyone goes into a tizzy when the clouds take over and the day is sunglasses optional.

Mark Adams is the assistant winemaker at Saxum, who makes his own wine for Ledge Vineyards called California Soul as well as the one we will focus on right now, Los Topos. Since we don’t really have seasons in Southern California, my clock starts to tick with the arrival of rosé. I know that summer is coming.

los topos

Let’s focus on the present though. It is a grey day. We are sitting on a beautiful patch of grass right by the SiIverlake Reservoir with a glass (or plastic cup) of Los Topos. The sun peeks through the clouds every once in awhile to remind us it’s there, but for the most part, the sky sets the tone for a lovely and tranquil day.  Pleasantly day drunk, we soak it in and recharge for whatever curve balls the next day will throw to us.

Remember to take some time to stop and taste the roses.
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The Madonna Inn with their very own White Zinfandel

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Madonna Inn

You should force yourself to get out of town every once in awhile. When you live in a city that’s a bubble like Los Angeles it seems mandatory.  We gathered a fun group of girls, travelled up to San Luis Obispo, and stayed at a place that has long been on my wish list: The Madonna Inn.  It is as weird as the pictures you find of it and being there to experience this coastline gem filled me with wonder and astonishment.

 Though we never leave town unprepared, we discovered the Madonna Inn has their own “private label” of wine that they sell at their Gourmet and Wine shop.  We thought, “what the hell, let’s give it a try.”  When most people say that they don’t like rosé, they are thinking of pink wine that is sweet, comes from California, and is called White Zinfandel.  Madonna Inn might be the only ones still proudly selling this saccharine shit, so our fate was obvious: pink place with pink drink.

Madonna Inn Wine

In retrospect, I learned a lesson.  Do as the Romans do, but only if the act does not fill you with regret and give you a pounding headache the next day.  Oh, and do try their cake, it is delicious. Til next time Madonna Inn.
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