No, You’re NOT in Italy. That’s just the wine talkin’
The rolling hills of Italy, each one covered in rows and rows of grapevines. Above, the sky is a perfect shade of blue with a smattering of clouds off on the horizon.
These are the things you think of when you are asked to describe a vineyard. All but one item is true, depending on the time of year. Vineyards thrive in many different parts of the world, including Oregon. Yet, how did this picturesque image arrive on the other side of the globe? No one really knows, but the best rumor includes a party and some forgotten fluff in a pocket.
George Simpson, the head of the Hudson Bay Company in the early 1800s, was at a party in London. At some point, he placed some grape and apple seeds in his pocket, likely to throw them away at an opportune time, and completely forgot about it until he arrived at Fort Vancouver. Here, he met John McLoughlin, the manager of the Fort. He felt that this was the perfect time to get rid of these seeds that were hibernating in his pocket for who knows how long, and gifted them to Mr. McLoughlin.
The manager continued to plant and sow these seeds, and as time went on, he gifted the seeds to various workers. One such worker decided to retire and move from Vancouver. This trend continued until they reached the Northern Willamette Valley. After this long journey, the grape and wine records became a little muddy.
Once the grapes arrived in the Rogue Valley, people found out that this area was perfect for a new winery home. Firstly, this Valley is in the best latitude for growth. It lies between 42 and 43 degrees on latitude that can be found on a map. This latitude is equal to the most prominent wine-producing regions, including New Zealand, Europe, and Argentina. Outside of this “Goldilocks” zone, it is a lot more difficult to grow and produce wonderfully tasting grapes. Grapes also love to have a long, warm growing season with a rough cold during the winter so that the vines can be chilled to activate the necessary growth for the next growing season.
The soil variety that is found throughout the region allows the vineyards to grow different types of grapes, no matter what type of soil they prefer. Due to all of these differences, the Rogue Valley has more than 70 different grape variants that can produce world-class wine.
Rosella’s is just one of the many vineyards that use these soil and weather climates to create amazing wines that everyone can enjoy. Come out and see for yourself.
~Cheers!
Sheet Pan Olive Bar Chicken Dinner
I don’t know about you – but I LOVE great food and I LOVE a great drink, wine especially. There’s nothing better at the end of a long day than enjoying that perfect bite and inviting sip. And if I can do all that prep work for the meal in under 15 minutes, which leaves me more time to enjoy my wine – count me in!
Sheet pan dinners have become all the rage – and understandably so! If you can make a complete dinner using 1 pan and 1 pan only – why wouldn’t you rave about it! This Sheet Pan Olive Bar Chicken dinner is so easy, you’ll put it in your rotation for sure!
One-stop shopping makes this recipe as easy to shop for as it is to make. Grocery stores have had salad bars for quite some time, more recently they have started offering different types of bars – the most popular being the Olive bar. These bars offer a wide variety of olives along with peppers, roasted garlic, marinated artichoke hearts, and a plethora of other items. When you’re done picking your olive bar favorites and the 4 other ingredients needed for this recipe your shopping is complete! How easy was that!
Now you’ve got to get busy and get dinner started, but before you do, and for a little motivational flow, open up that wine bottle. A perfect pairing for this delicious dish is Rosella’s White Wine Blend, with its balanced acidity and lingering finish – it’s the wine you want to start your cooking with, the wine you want to relax and wait for the timer to go off with and the wine you want to drink while enjoying your fabulous chicken dinner.
Consider joining our wine club which would make it easy to meal plan and pair your dinners with your favorite Rosella wines. With membership, you receive a 20% Discount on anything less than a case and a 25% Discount on a Case or more.
Take a beautiful drive to the Applegate this Memorial Day Weekend, we’re open! Enjoy tasting something new or refresh your tastebuds on an old favorite. We love to share pairing ideas and talk about everything wine.
~ Salud
A new kind of pairing
It’s springtime, so let’s soak up the sun! With the evening light being longer it gives us more time to relax outside and enjoy a glass of our favorite Rosella wine!
While you’re outside, why not surround yourself with the flowers that will enhance the flavors of the wine you’re drinking? Invite your friends, grab yourself a bouquet and make a game out of this marvelous experience!!
Here at Rosella’s Winery, we’ve got several combinations of wines and flowers to try. Today, we will be focusing on our Merlot Blush, Red Wine Blend, Zinfandel, Ula Waina, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Each wine has a different taste and focus, which means that each wine has a different flower that will accentuate its taste. Don’t believe it? Give it a try.
Our Merlot Blush is a lighter, fruitier wine with a pink hue that is created by being exposed for 2-4 hours to dark grape skins. Tasters often describe the flavor of strawberries and other summer fruits. Because it is designed to drink young, there are fewer tannins which is the substance that gives a typical red wine a dry taste. Prior to opening this bottle, be sure to sit near violets. These stunning flowers are known to be a symbol of modesty, faithfulness, and virtue. The delicate blue-purple violet has a soft, powdery, and romantic smell that will not overpower our Merlot Blush.
45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 10% Zinfandel make up our Red Wine Blend, our take on the traditional Bordeaux Blend. There are hints of black currant, plum, and spicy cherry. Along with raspberry, blackberry, and pepper. This is Rosella’s signature wine with its ripe, full-bodied style. A special wine calls for a special floral pairing, the Aster. Choose between pink, white, red, mauve, lilac petals, or a mixture. This flower is known to represent all-powerful love, affection, and wisdom. Fun fact – it’s the leaves, not the petals that are fragrant, rub or crush them and they give off a slightly minty fragrance. It’s bright, varied colors and soft smell make it a perfect companion for our Red Wine Blend.
Zinfandel is a rare varietal in the Applegate, but it is worth creating. This special wine gives big, bold, and bright fruit flavors. It is full-bodied and well-balanced, giving it great freshness and appeal. Black and inky it gives way to blackberry, mild oak, cedar, and black pepper spices. This strong wine deserves a strong flower and that flower is the Marigold also known as the “herb of the sun”. Their golden blooms are known to symbolize passion and creativity which is the perfect balance of the spicy, earthy flavors of Zinfandel.
Rosella’s Ula Waina, and Cabernet Sauvignon have a unique connection. Our Cabernet Sauvignon has hints of black cherry and wild berry that yield to rich vanilla and oak. The Ula Waina on the other hand has a ruby color 
and its youthful, exuberant, and mineral aroma offers a magnificent balance between fruit, dense structure, and alcohol, and confirms its full character with extraordinary richness and volume, designed to drink young. These two wines have very little in common, but both of them can be enjoyed with breathtaking Chrysanthemums. These flowers are known to symbolize loyalty and honesty and come in a variety of sizes and colors. These flowers have a wonderful earthy and herb smell with a strong sweet aroma.
We hope that you will try some of these new pairings. Have any of them surprised you? Please let us know! And please enjoy the beauty of the flowers and as the song goes – we’re gonna soak up the sun while it’s still free!
Make the day! Head out to Rosella’s Winery and enjoy some really special wine!
~Cheers
Applegate Valley Wine Trail
