The last bottle in the carton from our wine club “A Taste of Monterey” was a Rosé, which is not something we normally see, as we belong to their Reserve Wine Selections group.  More and more people that I know are going back to work, which is a great sign.  The medical profession is getting back in order, and retailers no longer have to “wink, wink” about having an appointment for a customer.  I am still waiting to watch how the restaurant industry fares around here, so of the Mom and Pop places, and some of the chains are destined to close, because of the lockdown, while others will struggle with mandated limits on what they can do.  There are still some businesses that are still shut down and I feel sorry for them. 

On the real positive side, our wine club “A Taste of Monterey” is celebrating their Twenty-fifth Anniversary and that is quite an accomplishment.  I am not even sure how many years we have belonged, but we found them on our first trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea; one day we made a side trip, because I wanted to eat at the famous Sardine Factory on Cannery Row.  Ken and Robyn Rauh created the perfect showroom to feature the wines of Monterey County AVA.  The structure was originally the home for Paul Masson Winery and it has been reworked and is one of the finest wine shops and tasting rooms we have ever been to.  We enjoyed the wine tasting and the knowledge of the staff, bought some wines and also got some leads of wineries to go visit for further tastings and it ended up a major shopping spree.  We have been enjoying the selections ever since.

In the old days, one might have referred to Dawn’s Dream as a distaff winery or some might have called it a cottage industry, but today it is all good.  Dawn Galante is the wife of Jack Galante, and an officer for both companies, and to boot, she is from Michigan and fell in love with the Monterey region and who could fault her.  According to their blog Dawn’s Dream opened the doors in 2013 and the winery lives by her credo penned by Henry David Thoreau “Dreams are the touchstones of our character.”  Dawn’s Dream Pinot Noir Rosé Santa Lucia Highlands 2018 has been voted the “Best Rosé of Monterey County” for six years in a row, and without even trying it, I would venture to say that it is true, because some of the best Pinot Noir wines that I have had are from the Santa Lucie Highlands.  The wine features Clone 236 Pinot Noir grapes that are whole-cluster pressed to get a more delicate flavor, the wine is fermented and settled in Stainless Steel for a couple of months to maintain the freshness of the fruit and it was awarded 91 points in Wine Enthusiast.  The tasting notes say that this peachy-pink wine offers hints of tangerine, lemon zest and ripe apricot.  The taste offers ripe strawberry and watermelon with a crisp acidity that makes you desire another glass. I am sure that we shall soon have a verdict on this wine.