Rose' has become an overwhelming choice for summer sipping over the last few years. In California, with the temperate climate, we drink it year-round. But the fly-over country between the two coasts is finally catching on to how refreshing a delicious rose' can be. It would seem that the popularity of rose' has reached critical mass. I mean, you know that when Apothic, Kendall-Jackson, Menage a Trois, Noble Vines and Dark Horse jump on the rose' bandwagon, the bloom just might be off the rose, so to speak. I'm not saying any of these bottlings are bad; several of them are quite tasty. But in the great scheme of things, many of them are mass produced, marketed to appeal to a certain customer profile and price point. 

 

Wouldn't you rather indulge yourself with a rose' from a Santa Barbara County producer who makes rose' in a style that the winemaker simply likes to drink? No corporate committees or targeted ads; just the best darn rose' that he or she can make every year. Here are some from this year's crop that I enjoyed.