Weekly Connections with Brian Lafontaine July 27, 2025
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Even though it is not 90 degrees outside, rosé wine still should have a place in your cellar. With the start of the holiday season just few weeks away, most people have moved on to the big, full bodied reds for dinner.
Its bright, refreshing fruit gets your palate primed for the family dinner without weighing you down. (Leave that for the turkey.) It is also a good way to finish the night. The acidity in rosé will help cleanse the palate after all the savory food and sweets that follow.
I will have a few bottles open at my table for those that are not red wine drinkers. It is a great opening to get them started down the red wine path. While not all styles of rosé are ideal pairings for turkey day, those that are made with the fuller bodied grapes can and do fit the bill. Look for rosé s made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah or Tempranillo. They will typically have a deeper color, more structure and tannin to go with everything on the table.
This wine has a strawberry red color, clean and bright. Very aromatic with strawberry hues, hints of peach and red fruit. On the palate this wine is fresh with a lingering finish focusing on red fruits. Drink by itself or with all assortment of fare.
Steve Reynolds started this project in the early 2000s by purchasing 1 ton of fruit from the best vineyards in each of theAVAs in Napa Valley. While everyone else was getting morespecific, Steve wanted to showcase Napa Valley as a whole in this Bordeaux style blend. The 2016 Sixteen Appellations is a wine full of fruit and bright acidity, pairing each AVA to bring together Napa Valley in a Bottle. Notes of black cherry, plum, rhubarb, and cassis. Hints of chocolate, vanilla and nutmeg round the palate. Enjoy tonight with braised meats or cellar for 7-10 years. Pick it up for $80.
Adam Arlen: “I am passionate about wine because it is history in a bottle.” Originally from Allentown, PA, he believes you should always branch out and find new things. His goal is to never stop learning and continuing to grow both personally and professionally. A fun fact about him: “I was a nuclear engineer on a submarine in a previous life.”
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