Vina Robles Rosé is the June New World wine from my wine club at Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan.  At the moment, it is the personal touch that they extend that is keeping them in business during these hard-economic times as wine shops are not considered essential.  They were able to reach out to their customers and do special deliveries and curb-side pickups, as well as the club offerings.  One of the main parts of their business has been curtailed, because they can not have wine tastings, which was a great way for them to maintain their existing business and to grow it, when new customers learned of the feature. 

Vina Robles is the story of Hans Nef from a village outside of Zurich, Switzerland.  From his agricultural background, his interest took him to the southern United States in the early 1990’s.  He had also developed a passion for fine wines and created his own import business.  His appreciation for California wines kept increasing and his desire to make his own wines.  In the mid 1990’s he discovered Paso Robles, and he wanted a winery to be a cross of his European heritage and the heritage that was becoming Paso Robles, with the intent of creating world-class wines.  Nef and an old friend and business associate Hans – R. Michel who became his managing partner planted the first of what would eventually become six vineyards in 1996.  Vina Robles was created and later in 2012 they hired Winemaker Kevin Willenborg.  The hospitality center was opened in 2007, a blend of California Mission-style and European elegance.  In 2013 they opened the Vina Robles Amphitheatre and has been averaging thirty world-class artists each year.   In 2019 they opened up a new state-of-the-art winery, so they have not been idle.

The Vina Robles Vineyards & Winery Rosé Huerhuero Vineyard Paso Robles 2018 was inspired by the Rosé wines of Southern France.  The grounds are very similar and the Huerhuero Vineyard is a hilly terrain that actually spreads into both the El Pomar and Geneseo sub AVA districts of Paso Robles.  The locations are fortunate to get marine air from both the Templeton Gap and the Salinas Valley and the soil is a gravelly calcareous subsoil.  The wine is a blend of sixty-eight percent Syrah, twenty-seven percent Grenache and five percent Viognier.  The harvest of the fruit was over a month to maximize the three different varietals.  The fruit was crushed and put into Stainless Steel vats and then blended just before bottling.  The wine is said to have a nose offering red cherry and pomegranate with hints of peach and rose petals. The wine is described as having red cherry notes and moderate acidity.  It is suggested to pair with pork, chicken and oily fish and rich cheeses.  It should be gone this summer, especially with all the wine we have been drinking at home.