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Bloody Rosé Sangria – Buttonwood Syrah Rosé

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If you live near the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara’s wine country, then you’ve heard of Buttonwood Farm & Winery‘s peaches. As you drive up Alamo Pintado between the charming towns of Los Olivos and Solvang (where we’re known for both wine tasting and Danish kitsch) you can’t miss the sign on the side of the road as it calls your name: “Peaches!”

The peaches at this working farm are big, beautiful and flavorful. And they go fast…make sure to get your peaches before checking out the tasting room, or you might be out of luck for the day! You also might want to pick up a freshly baked peach pie as well, then head into the winery’s tasting room, peaches-in-hand.

Some of my favorite Buttonwood wines are the very Zingy Sauvignon Blanc, done in a style with freshness and bite, and the Cabernet Franc, a spicy and earthy varietal that’s not always easy to find. And summer is the perfect time for the Semi-Semi (Semi-dry Semillon), a slightly sweet light white wine (great for a White Peach Blueberry Sangria), and the Rosé of Syrah, powerhouse of summer.

In fact, the peaches and Rosé inspired me to come up with a garden-fresh summer Sangria concoction to help beat the heat this August. If your August is as dry and dusty as mine, this will quench your thirst, slip you some nutrients and make you happy to do your farming.

Buttonwood Syrah Rose SangriaBloody Rosé Sangria Recipe

  • Fresh juice of 1 large tomato
  • Fresh juice of 1 large peach (or 2 small ones)
  • Fresh juice of 1 tangerine or half a large orange
  • Sugar, to taste
  • Sage or basil for garnish
  • Buttonwood Syrah Rosé

Note: you can skip the tangerine/orange and sugar, and replace with San Pellegrino Blood Orange sparkling soda for some bubbles!

  1. Muddle the tomato, peach and tangerine pulp together with all the juices and sugar.
  2. Divide this mixture into 2 glasses.
  3. Top with Buttonwood Syrah Rosé and garnish with herbs. You can add sparkling water or soda as well.
  4. Drink and be refreshed! And go forth and farm…

If you like sweeter sangria, check out my White Peach Blueberry Sangria!
Buttonwood Farm & Winery peaches

Summer Wines: Rosé from Provence, Rioja & Santa Ynez

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My favorite summer wine is rosé. Its lovely pink hue and delicate flavor win me over at almost every meal, as it flirts with me from the bottle; I just can’t’ say no to it. It’s as refreshing as a crisp white on a hot day, but slightly big enough with a few tannins and flavors from the red grape skins to complement grilled meats, heavy meats, grilled vegetables and summer desserts. Rosé will pair up with almost anything, making it the summer wench of wine.

Triennes Rose wine from Provence, France

My favorite rosés are those that are light in color and alcohol, but medium to high in acidity. Rosés from Provence are the originals, and could easily be called the best. Triennes rosé is a favorite of mine, made from Cinsault blended with Grenache, Syrah and Merlot. It’s light yet flavorful and is the perfect accompaniment to a summer dinner.

Bodegas Muga Rose wine from Rioja, Spain

Another rosé I love is from Bodegas Muga in Rioja. This one is a darker pink color; a rosy-cheeked minx, with a heavier flavor that can stand up to meats and cheese, but still having that bright kick of acidity.

 Verdad rose wine from Santa Ynez Valley, California

And finally, a California rosé I love is from Verdad Wines in the Sana Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara county. Louisa Lindquist makes this European style rose from the Garnacha grape of Spain, with an alcohol level of 11%. It rivals these French rosés in all the things I love about rosé wines, with the bonus that I can buy locally! My local harlot…

Try finding one of these rosés, and pair it with your favorite summer meals. You’ll see that even though she gets around; she really is the best companion on a summer evening.

Sisters, Grapes & Cowboys – Tres Hermanas Winery

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There are several clues at Tres Hermanas Winery in California’s Santa Maria Valley that you are among cattle ranchers: the big red barn next to the tasting room (used by the Teixeira family’s ranching forefathers), the miles of ranch land and small herds of animals surrounding the winery, and the mechanical horse proudly displayed in the tasting room (and yes, customers can still ride this horse).

But what you really want to do is taste the wines. There are around 20 small-lot production wines for sale, with a handful on the current tasting sheet. If you get one of the family members behind the bar – it’s not hard to do…Paulette Teixeira, her sister Beverly and her daughters Stacey, Tracey and Marcey (the three sisters) frequently work in the winery. Ask if anything else is open for tasting.

You won’t be disappointed. Every wine on the sheet is unique, interesting, well-made and highly enjoyable. Exceptional even, especially the 2007 Roussanne – a white Rhone varietal that has been gaining popularity, some of which Luke made with wild yeast – and the 2007 Refosco, a grape native to northern Italy, Croatia and Slovenia and hardly made in California, or in the US at all. Deeper and more complex than a Sangiovese but lighter and easier-to-go-down than a Cab or Syrah, this Refosco is a real find here in Santa Barbara wine country. All these wines are gems.

The family is intent on doing something different, something new, while retaining all the heritage and traditions of old world wine making. And it shows. Ask for a tour of the winery and vineyards and you’re in for a real treat: learning about terroir, trellising, bud break and shatter, seeing wines in various stages of cold fermentation and aging, and visiting horses, cows and sheep.

In fact, this is still the headquarters for the family cattle operation and if you happen to be enjoying this countryside along Foxen Canyon road on an early spring morning, you could witness a Cattle Branding right here in front of the barn. Cattle will fill the hills with their plaintive moos while young calves are herded into groups, then roped and branded one by one with the JT cattle brand by a host of neighborly ranch hands.

This is cowboy wine country.