It is still summer, and it is still rose season!  Although it's basically Rose season year-round in Florida, I know that up north it is getting close to the end of that season.  I realized I haven't featured a Rose or even a white wine in a few weeks.  Seems crazy with as hot as it has been outside.

Today I wanted to talk about a winery that I first began to love about 3 years ago.  Lioco Winery was started by two guys who were tired of the heavy-handed wines of California and wanted to produce wines more similar to those made in Europe and the early 80's of California.  

They focus primarily on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Carignan.  Their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is what originally made me fall in love with their wines.  They produce such elegant and Burgundian style wines which are just a very nice alternative from the oaky Chardonnay and big robust Pinot Noir that typically come out of California.  However, today I am focused on the Carignan and not actually the red wine they produce from this grape, but the Rose.  

The Lioco Rose of Carignan from Mendocino County 2021 might be one of their best vintages yet of this wine.  There were drought conditions all year and very low yields and small clusters.  All of this leading up to a wine slightly different than previous vintages.  This vintage has more fruit intensity both on the nose and palate.  It has wonderful watermelon and guava notes.  It is like biting into a fresh watermelon with the juiciness that ensues.  This wine just screams summer refresher!

With so many wines coming from just a few large wine "brands", it is nice to find these smaller producers that are making the wine with the enjoyment and love of wine making still part of the process.  

So as the summer winds down and you get your fix of Rose in, or if you plan on drinking Rose all year, make sure to find a few bottles of the Lioco Rose of Carignan.  Thanks to the fact it is a small hand-crafted wine, there won't be much left until the next vintage, so load up now to hold you over till next year and if you are in the mood for a Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, check theirs out as well!

Lioco Indica Rosé of Carignan 2021

-Patrick Mulrooney