Best local rosé wines for the holidays

Posted: 10:28 am, November 26, 2015 by Publisher Scott Brennan

Click here to check out our current 2016 recommendations

Rosé wine has come along way from the white zinfandel I remember being served as a young man. Today’s Paso Robles’ rosés are sophisticated and delicious. These Paso Robles rosé wines will pair well with lighter faire, appetizers like prosciutto-wrapped melon, smoked salmon and deviled eggs. They will also go well with baked ham, pork tenderloin and white meat of roasted turkey. Serve them chilled. Enjoy!

Top Paso Robles rosé wines for the holidays

Broken Earth 2014 Grenache Rosé – $28
This is an enjoyable light pink wine with aromas of cherries and raspberries with a dry finish. It has a pleasant acidity making it a good choice for most holiday dishes.

Derby Wine Estates 2014 Rosé – $20
Derby’s pink wine is 100-percent Mourvedre. It has flavors of pomegranate, oranges and strawberries. It’s a great way to start a holiday meal.

Eberle 2014 Syrah Rosé – $18
This Steinbeck Vineyard syrah rosé is mostly-dry wine with strawberry notes. It’s what Gary and Marcy Eberle like to drink with holiday meals because it won’t overpower the turkey, but stands up to cranberry sauce and all the sides.

Hearst Ranch Winery 2014 ‘Julia’ Rosé Wine – $22
This rosé is an interesting blend of tempranillo, merlot, cab franc, grenache and syrah. It’s clean and crisp with loads of character. It has a crisp taste of bright fruit and floral notes.

J Lohr 2014 Grenache Rosé – $18
This is a delightful pink wine with flavors of strawberries and pear. Serve at a cool temperature with light appetizers at holiday meals.

Pomar Junction 2014 Syrah Rosé – $18
This delicious pink wine is from 100-percent syrah grapes. It’s a very light shade of pink, but delivers great flavors of berries and rhubarb. It’s perfect for a holiday brunch.

Rockin’ R Winery 2012 Pink! – $24
This tasty rose will pair very well with turkey or fowl. It’s a dry pink wine with soft and smooth cranberry and fruity flavors. Its acidity is well balanced.

Villa San Juliette 2014 Rosé – $20
The bright pink wine is a blend of syrah, zinfandel, grenache, petite syrah and sauvignon blanc fruit. It’s “a brilliant blend of our best saignee lots,” the winemaker notes. It has strawberry aromas with abundant flavors of berries and pomegranate.

Vina Robles 2014 Roseum – $16
This pink wine is packed with flavor and a great value. Its pressed from syrah grapes of the Eastside’s Huerhuero vineyard. It will pair well with quail, chicken, turkey and appetizers.

Additional wine recommendations

Publisher’s note: For the second year in a row we thought it would be a great idea to recommend local wines for upcoming holiday parties and meals. Once again, I had no idea how much participation we would receive from our local wineries. Over the last few weeks we received more than 100 entries. I was originally planning a list of 10 or so of the best wines, but after tasting and tasting and tasting, there were just too many solid, well-made wines to recommend. So we decided to break up the list of top local wines into categories. The recommended wines are in alphabetical order.