New #WineLover Gets An Education From Holman Ranch Winery
The second thing that Carla, a friend giving me my initial wine education, said to me was “don’t ever drink rose in public.”
Her point was that rose, being a blend of red and white grapes, was a clear indication to girls that a guy drinking it was not a good decision maker. And girls like take-charge, confident guys who don’t waver in their decisions. A rose, in her opinion, showed a weakness in a man’s decision-making process.
I had good reason to trust Carla. She always drank wine and I was a beer drinker. She wanted to educate me and she did, and gave me an appreciation for this great adult beverage.
Now, I love wine. This has come in quite handy during my frequent visits to California’s new, vibrant wine country, Monterey County.
Carla’s first tip, by the way, was to start off with white zinfandel and quickly move onto other wines before going out in public. Never drink a white zif in public as a guy. That’s excellent advice, by the way.
But Carla’s initial instruction of roses has evolved. An now I am now not afraid to order a rose.
For this, I have to thank Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley, and particularly Nick Adams. Nick introduced me to Holman Ranch’s rose and I found it quite pleasing.
So pleasing, in fact, that I’m drinking it now as I write this blog post. Roses may be somewhat not macho to guys to drink in a bar because of their pink color but they are not necessarily super sweet like the white zif.
“People think of a rose as being sweet but if it’s done right, that’s not the case,” Nick explained. “We do ours as a gentle blend, and it’s great for warm days.
“In fact, in France, it’s what people drink in the daytime at the cafes. Rose has a bad reputation in the States because a lot of it is sold cheap, and it’s too sweet. But it’s actually a good wine when made properly and good roses are perfect for warm days.”
The Holman Ranch rose is not sweet at all – but the view from the ranch is, I’ll say – but what a blend of reds and whites should be, a smooth-tasting balance of both grapes. It’s light on alcohol content and kind of a medium flavor on the tongue. It’s actually a rose of Pinot Noir.
I compare it to women, of course. Imagine a cute blonde and redhead come up to you and they both give you a hug. Are you going to turn them away? Of course not; you will embrace both of them.
And after Nick’s explanation and having a bottle of it, I’m embracing Holman Ranch’s rose as if I were getting a hug from two good-looking girls.
You, too, can have all the Holman Ranch wines at its tasting room at the end (on the right) in Carmel Valley or from its website.
Cheers!
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