Bountiful Blush 2010
With spring just around the corner, it’s time to bring out the picnic wines. And by that I mean the fruity Rosés, Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs. As the weather warms up, people tend to gravitate more toward Rosés and white wines than the heavier reds.
And perfect for a picnic is The Organic Wine Works Bountiful Blush ($12) made by Hallcrest Vineyards. It’s an easy-on-the-palate wine that goes well with a sandwich, cheese and crackers, and many other kinds of food. Rosé is surprisingly flexible.
The varied colors of Rosé wine cover a wide spectrum—with everything from a soft apricot to pale orange to an almost crimson red, depending, of course, on how long the winemaker leaves the juice in contact with the dark-colored skins. The Bountiful Blush is a beautiful hot pink with a strawberry aroma and delightful flavors of ripe fresh fruit. It’s a soft, semi-dry wine—but it’s not a weak-kneed Rose by any means. I have written a number of times about how the once-lowly Rosé is making a well-deserved comeback from its days as a much-ignored and underappreciated wine.
What sets the Bountiful Blush apart from most other Rosé wines is that it’s all organic and certified by the CCOF and USDA. And for those on a vegan diet, it fits the bill on that score as well.
Winemaker John Schumacher makes his exceptional wines under two labels: Hallcrest Vineyards and The Organic Wine Works. All the wines he makes are noteworthy, especially his award-winning Hallcrest Pinot Noirs, but his farming of organic grapes shows his commitment to the community that prefers its wine to be organic.
So head on over to Hallcrest’s tasting room in Felton for a picnic and enjoy all the different wines made by Schumacher. Speaking of picnics, Hallcrest was nominated as one of the best wine-country picnic spots—so you can look forward to a wonderful day out.
Hallcrest Vineyards/Organic Wine Works, 379 Felton Empire Road, Felton, 335-4441. Hallcrestvineyards.com. From spring to fall the tasting room is open daily, so check before you go.
Wine Events:
Fireside Fridays in the Hotel Los Gatos The beautiful Hotel Los Gatos will be the host for a continuing series of Fireside Fridays wine tasting events. Particularly exciting will be the pairing of wine and chocolate throughout the month of March when local wines will be featured along with some delicious chocolates. The first Fireside Friday is on March 2 from 5-7 p.m. in the hotel’s lobby – and the participating wineries are Burrell School Vineyards & Winery, Silver Mountain Vineyards, Mountain Winery, and Villa del Monte Winery. Cost: $15. Hotel Los Gatos, 210 E. Main St., Los Gatos. (408) 335-1700.
