Rosé a Day: 2017 The Withers El Dorado Rosé

Here in Hollywood, the days have been breezy and clear with bright blue skies--the kind of days that beg you to be outside in them. And what’s better to accompany the great outdoors than a crisp glass of rosé? With new releases from California just out of the gate and those from France soon to follow, there’s no better time to grab a glass and do some serious porch pounding.

And your chances of getting a stellar quaff are excellent. The 2017 vintage in California benefited from an unusually wet winter, bringing much-needed water to the five-year-drought-parched soils and cover crops. Likewise, 2017 was ultimately a good one for rosé's home turf, Southern France, which experienced an early and small harvest, but one of high quality. All good news for those of us who are eagerly anticipating the season’s newest pinks!

We’ll be bringing you snapshots of new releases as we head toward summertime, and we’ll start you off The Withers’ 2017 El Dorado Rosé.

The Withers is a husband-and-wife team devoted to cool-climate wine, eco-friendly farming, and horses (their name comes from the word for the highest part of a horse; their aspirations are to reach great heights in their winemaking). Joined by winemaker David Low of Anthill Farms, they’ve created a lineup of nuanced, food-friendly wines from cool, high-elevation sites in Mendocino, Sonoma, and the Sierra Foothills. Their 2017 rosé comprises Grenache and Mourvèdre from two sites in El Dorado, including their Estate vineyard, that span up to 2200 ft.

The wine is light and easy and exceedingly sippable, just as you’d want it to be. Notes of fresh cherries, peaches, and watermelon will keep you going back for more. Pour a glass, pull out that charcuterie, and have a picnic--bask in springtime in LA!

Click here to find the wine.

- Kate Soto