The Ventana Dry Rosado is a definite winner. I had never heard of Ventana and I barely knew where Arroyo Seco was before buying it (despite visiting Monterey, for God’s sake). Back to the point, this wine is a stud. I’m not even sure it should be referred to as a Rose, as every Rose I’ve had before is a crying little girl compared to this. Perhaps that’s why they used “Rosado” as the specific name. I’ll have to look it up.

Color

Cranberry juice cocktail. Deep rich ruby. Stiff for a Rose, but like I said, it’s a stud. Red wine is often referred to as ruby in color. I disagree. Look at a ruby and tell me if the color is more like a Gamay or this wine. You’ll see what I mean.

Nose

Skunk. Pure skunky cherry and cranberry notes. It dominates the nose. Tart strawberry, moldy blueberry, dry carpet.

Taste

More tart but juicy as can be. This is explosive strawberry, cranberry and some gasoline. Almond sneaks in to finish you off. Huge mouthfeel like velvet. This is not Granny’s $5 Rose.

With Food

Give it it’s due. Don’t pair this with just salad or fish or even light chicken as you would a typical Rose. We’re talking 10% Syrah and 90% Grenache here, left to soak with the skins longer than usual for a Rose. Stiffen things up by putting some time of slightly darker sauce on the chicken or fish. Actually, now that I think about it, grilled fish or chicken with lime and salsa, or even a good ceviche would work perfectly with this. Hey, look at that! Another wine that works with Mexican food, and from the most unlikely of varietals.

Where to Buy

$18 at TasteMontery.com, which by the way is an awesome little wine store right nextdoor to the Steinbeck Museum in Salinas. Go get some culture and then get buzzed off the beautiful wines Monterey has to offer.

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A MUST BUY. Though the label may look like it was drawn by a 14-year-old girl, this wine kicked serious ass (and it’s $13!). We stumbled upon the Bocage Merlot while traveling through Salinas and the Monterey area, home of John Steinbeck. We realize that you readers probably have absolutely zero interest in John Steinbeck, or the museum we visited in Monterey that bears his name, so let’s just pretend we didn’t mention it at all.

COLOR: Inky purple with a blue tint to it when you tilt against a frosted lamp with a 60 watt bulb. I’m serious, you need to follow those instructions exactly.

NOSE: Crack open a can of black olives and throw some dried blueberries and chocolate on them. Shake it up and take a whiff. If you don’t throw up, that’s what the nose is like.

TASTE: Absolutely scrumptious. We don’t use that word too often, but this wine is very complex and very satisfying. We didn’t finish that first day and came back to it 2 days later, and it had taken on even more flavor. Silky and balanced, this wine brings seriously ripe fruit that conjures leather, blueberry, big black olives (which I hate, though they were good here), with a great shot of dark chocolate in the mid-palate. The finish is bland at first, but give it a moment and you will be rewarded with an aftertaste similar to finishing a pizza with only black olives. Something about the finish made me think of browned mozzarella, pizza dough, tomato sauce and black olives. Who knows why I think of these things? Stop staring at me!

WITH FOOD: Great pizza wine, let me first say that, but we had it with mushroom ravioli and spaghetti bolognese. I see no reason to suggest anything other than those items.

WHERE TO BUY: $10.99 at CAWineClub.com or $12.95 direct from San Saba Vineyards OR $13 from A Taste of Monterey!

SPECIAL NOTE: Thanks to the dude at A Taste of Monterey who suggested we shouldn’t pass it up at $13. Despite it not even being on their tasting menu, something told me that it would be good, that something being that dude.

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We don’t normally give negative reviews here on WineWelfare.com, but in the case of the Dancing Bull Chardonnay we feel compelled to warn you. The label on this travesty said “Crisp green apple notes…”

“Notes”? This was pure apple cider, baby.

Color

All looks well. A bit more pale than most California Chardonnays, but we weren’t worried.

Nose

A little different. Good, tart green apples, little cinnamon, but no butter. Which we like. Generally, the more natural acid and less oak we get, the better.

Taste

Alright, this the ridiculous part. Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Cider is all you need to know. The wine is very hollow, very light, and very surgary. The apple flavors are there, but that’s it. Cover an apple slice in sugar and you have it, except imagine the apple slice and sugar evaporated into nothing after the first bite. Fake acidity and no finish. Ditch this like a bad Prom date.

With Food

Please God no.

$7.65 at InternetWines.com!

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