Some of the best 2014 Northwest Rosés to tuck in your fridge for summer

  • By Eric Degerman and Andy Perdue Great Northwest Wine
  • Friday, June 19, 2015 2:36pm
  • LifeHops and Sips

One of our simple rules of wine enjoyment: Hot weather calls for chilled rosés.

For the past three months, we’ve seen a number of 2014 rosés being released throughout the Pacific Northwest, and they are proving to be a harbinger of what is to come.

Dry rosés are all the rage in the Northwest right now, and most are priced at $20 or less. They tend to pair beautifully with a wide range of cuisines, from seafood to spicy Asian dishes to grilled chicken to egg salad sandwiches.

Here are a few dry rosés we’ve tasted in the past couple of months.

Barnard Griffin 2014 Rosé of Sangiovese, Columbia Valley, $12: Year after year, owner/winemaker Rob Griffin and his crew craft what can rightly be placed among the best rosés in North America. This vintage won a gold medal in January at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and, to nobody’s surprise, repeated the feat at the Great Northwest Wine Competition in March. It’s a stunning wine with aromas of strawberry compote, cherry pie and peaches and cream, followed by flavors of mint, pineapple and red fruit. (12.9 percent)

Gordon Estate 2014 Rosé, Columbia Valley, $20: Winemaker Tyler Tennyson began making this pink in the Gordons’ Kamiak Vineyard, which overlooks the Snake River. Malbec was groomed specifically for rosé, and its salmon color leads to aromas of dried strawberry, cranberry, crushed cherries, white peach and rose hips. Tennyson finished it dry, allowing for a full expression of plum juice and red currant, framed by dried cranberry acidity, cherry skin tannin and a finish of more rose hips. (12.5 percent)

SuLei Cellars 2014 Dry Rosé, Walla Walla Valley, $18: Walla Walla Valley winemaker Tanya Woodley’s latest expression of rosé with Tempranillo and Merlot opens with a lighter colored wardrobe in a Provence style and aromatics of cherry, dusty white peach, apricot and vanilla. Inside, it continues to offer white orchard fruit flavors of peach and dried apricot, which are backed by tangelo acidity to balance the rich mouth feel. (13.2 percent)

Kaella Winery 2014 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Rosé, Red Mountain, $18: Woodinville vintner Dave Butner takes this pink made from Sangiovese down a dry path. Fresh and bright aromas of dusty Rainier cherry, fresh cranberry compote, strawberry, apricot and marshmallow lead to a clean and delicious presentation of ripe raspberry and cranberry.(14.3 percent)

Abacela 2014 Estate Grenache Rosé, Umpqua Valley, $18: Year after year, this Southern Oregon winery produces one of the West Coast’s most brilliant expressions of rosé and has helped promote the use of this Rhône variety as a pink in the process. Aromas of Rainier cherry, red currant, raspberry and strawberry taffy are backed by lime zest. The drink is bright, tasty, dry and rather delicate with flavors of white peach, pink strawberry and kiwi fruit. (13.1 percent)

Garnier Vineyards 2014 Rosé, Columbia Gorge, $14: This small producer on the Oregon side of the Columbia Gorge is producing superb wines, earning two top medals during the third annual Great Northwest Wine Competition. This bright rosé is a blend of Syrah and Grenache, and the result includes aromas of light apricot, peach and a wisp of smoke. On the palate, it is a bright and balanced pink wine with flavors of peach, apricot and tangerine. (13 percent)

Eric Degerman and Andy Perdue run Great Northwest Wine, a news and information company. Listen to their weekly podcast on iTunes or at www.greatnorthwestwine.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.