Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/138003
MARKET WATCH TIM TEICHGRAEBER the salty, grassy, minerally, savory notes that you have in a good rose," Bieler said. For him, it's the bridge between underripe and ripe fruit that delivers complexity in a rosé. "Winemakers never talk about underripe, because it sounds like a flaw, but I want this tension between underripe and ripe. There are a lot of cool, interesting things that come through on the underripe side, not in a dominating way, but in a secondary or tertiary way. It's like shining a light www.cleanwinery.com e-mail info@arsenterprises.com Available from ARS/Pressure Washer Company (800) 735-9277 plate for Charles & Charles also," Bieler said. "I was amazed when we started what a poor job so many U.S. wineries were doing making rosé. There were a handful of wellmade ones that were at a pretty high price-point. I felt that the Columbia Valley had the right cost of fruit, the right terroir and that it was the place of attack. I didn't know any growers, but Charles Smith was a friend. I called him and said, 'This is the tradition – this is how we do it in Provence, let's do it in Washington – I need an introduction to your growers.' That's how Charles & Charles started in 2008." The initial offering was 3,000 cases, all culled from a single syrah vineyard that was producing lighter, more perfumed reds than Smith wanted for his high-end K Vintners selections. Charles & Charles has added more vineyards, picks the grapes early and presses the juice off the skins immediately after crush, and has grown to 20,000 cases for the 2012 vintage. By early April 2013, the wine was sold out. Bieler and Smith are making focused, visionary American rosé modeled after the respected Provence archetype, and there is clearly demand for what they're doing. DIRECT-TO-PRESS STYLE "I think there's a clear response that this direct-to-press style is where it's at," Bieler explained. "The forward, fruity, simple byproduct rosés are being replaced. It should be a really fun wine, but it should be made really purposefully. I'm seeing many more domestic wineries producing it in that manner. It's a very purposeful rosé, and not a wine byproduct." The result is a less ripe, more refreshing style of rosé that stands apart from the saignée wines that are so prevalent in the States. "Generally, saignée-made rosés are picked when red wine is happening, and that's generally too late. The tank is for making red wine and the initial skin contact is for making red wine, and that all results in an imbalance and not enough of w w w. v w m media.com CHOOSE ALL AMERICAN We carry a complete line of wine bottles, corks and capsules in many colors, shapes and sizes – and our centrally located Pennsylvania warehouse services the eastern United States. All American has it all. For more information, please contact: Lissa McLaughlin (727) 321-8879 lmclaughlin@ allamericancontainers.com Roberta Parmelee (315) 585-6045 rparmelee @allamericancontainers.com www.aacwine.com Wine Warehouse in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania • Sales Offices & Warehouses in Miami, Tampa, Atlanta, Puerto Rico, NJ and CA J u l y - A u g 2 0 13 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 23