2023 Dutcher Crossing Winemakers’ Cellar Grenache Rosé

Wisconsin-born and a teacher by profession, Debra Mathy shared a passion for wine with her father. So much so, that the two of them spent years looking at wineries around the world in hopes of one day buying one.

Sadly, just three months before she would buy Dutcher Crossing Winery in Geyserville in 2007, her father was diagnosed with melanoma cancer and passed away.

She pressed on, though, intent on fulfilling their dream. Indeed, she became the first single woman to own a winery in Sonoma. When she purchased Dutcher Crossing, it made five wines and consisted of 35 acres. Today, it produces more than 30 wines across 75 acres.

I had a chance to sample a bottle of the 2023 Dutcher Crossing Winemakers’ Grenache Rosé ($40) from the Dry Creek Valley. The pale salmon-hued wine is full of the lively flavors of strawberries and raspberries. Tangy and refreshing, it spent four months in neutral French oak barrels, giving it a tad more body.

It was superb served alongside grilled salmon and corn on the cob. It would go equally well with shrimp or any white fish, and make summer linger that much longer.

Cheers: Admittedly, it’s hard to see in my photo above, but the wine label features a vintage penny-farthing bicycle on it in tribute to owner Mathy’s late father, Charles F. Mathy, who was a bicycle enthusiast. The winery also sells “The Giving Pack,” which consists of a bottle of 2021 CFM (Charles F. Mathy) Sauvignon Blanc, a bottle of the 2018 CFM Cabernet Sauvignon, and a handwritten note. All proceeds from this $160 gift pack go towards melanoma research.

2023 Mendes & Symington Contacto Alvarinho

A trip to Portugal has long been on my bucket list. Until I make it happen, I can at least content myself with enjoying its fine wines.

Case in point: a sample of the 2023 Mendes & Symington Contacto Alvarinho.

Symington Family Estates, one of Portugal’s oldest Port producing families, joined with renowned Portuguese winemaker Anselmo Mendes to produce this Alvarinho from grapes grown at the historic, 68-acre estate of Casa de Rodas. This is their first wine together to have launched in the United States.

The wine is full of slate, stone, and minerality, as well as notes of lime and grapefruit. With a full body and plenty of acidity, it’s incredibly food-friendly. And at $22 a bottle, it won’t break the bank, so you can easily enjoy it from now through fall.

I paired it with pesto pasta with shrimp. It would also go nicely with any grilled, sauteed or poached seafood; goat cheese salads; and even sushi.

Find the wine at Rain City Wines, and Vintage & Fine Wines.

Cheers: Contacto, the name of the wine, refers to the wine-making practice in which grape skins are left in contact with the must to impart layers of flavor and complexity.