2015 Bonny Doon Vineyard "Vin Gris de Cigare"

I had written about Randall Graham and his unique labeling a couple of years ago for a local magazine. I didn't love the editing so I never linked that article here, however, his Vin Gris De Cigare and Le Cigare Volant are wines that I know. I've purchased and served them both on more than a few occasions. When it was time to start appraising an array of Bonny Doon rosé samples, there was an obvious place to begin; the 2015 Vin Gris de Cigare, a Rhone-style blend of sustainably-grown Grenache, Carignane, Mourvedre, Cinsault and Roussanne, with a suggested retail price of $18

I poured myself a nice taste prior to dinner as I am prone to do when I am cooking at home. Hello, old friend, how did 2015 treat you, I mentally asked as I looked at my glass. It was a pale salmon pink with light citrus aromas. I took a sip. It was dry, crisp and smooth. I finished my final dinner preparations as the wine warmed up some and started to open up more displaying its familiar personality- delicate strawberry, melon and grapefruit notes along with a slight savoriness in the mostly mineral finish. Always interesting and delightfully drinkable.

Dinner was going to be simple, just grilled vegetables and shrimp; everything was prepped

and the grill was hot. I moved outside to the front porch to talk to the cat and wait for my husband who promptly pulled up. "What was that?" he asked as he walked towards me. I looked down at my now empty glass and replied, "an old friendship that you are really going to enjoy renewing."

The 2015 Vin Gris de Cigare is a highly recommended "pink wine of the earth" for spring, summer and beyond. Enjoy it with easy meals and good company.