Rosé can be produced by either adding a red wine to a white wine base or by crushing the dark-skinned grapes and allowing the juice to stay in contact with the skins for a few hours before removing the juice and starting fermentation. The winemaking terms are “cold soak” and “skin contact.” Our rosé is made using the saignée method (meaning “bleeding” in French) whereby a small portion of the juice is taken off the crushed grapes before fermentation and after about 18 hours of skin contact. The result is a delicate, pink wine from juice fermented separately with unique wine yeasts from what is taken off the skins, and a full-bodied red wine produced from the remaining juice fermented on the skins for up to three weeks.
Sangiovese
This sangiovese rosé came from the Padgett Vineyard in the Yakima Valley near Zillah, Washington in the Rattlesnake Hills AVA. It was harvested on October 18, 2017. Aromas of lime, strawberry, and rhubarb with a crisp, full-bodied structure.
Pinot Noir
Our estate pinot noir rosé grapes were ripened in the foothills of the Tualatin Mountains and harvested on October 8th with sugars of 23.2° Brix. A gentle acidity with aromas of raspberry, apple, orange, and cranberry.
Merlot
The grapes crushed to produce the merlot rosé were harvested from Jim Jamison’s vineyard in the Columbia Valley near Yakima on September 9, 2017. Full-bodied and smooth with aromas of pineapple, cherry, strawberry and blood orange.
Pairing Recipes at the Release Party, April 22nd
Deviled Ham Salad on Marbled Rye Bread
Prep Time: 25 minutes
4 servings
Ingredients
½ pound smoked ham, coarsely chopped
½ cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
Hot sauce and salt, for seasoning
8 slices of bakery-style marbled rye bread, crusts removed, or 32 slices of cocktail rye
1 ½ cups alfalfa sprouts
1.) Pulse the ham in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer the ham to a medium bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise, parsley, jalapeno, mustard and paprika; season the deviled ham salad with hot sauce and salt.
2.) Lay half of the bread slices on a work surface and spread them with the deviled ham. Top with the alfalfa sprouts and close the sandwiches. If making larger sandwiches, quarter them before serving.
MAKE AHEAD: The deviled ham salad can be refrigerated overnight.
Pair with Helvetia Winery’s rosé of sangiovese.
Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar
Prep Time: 10 minutes
+ 1 hour marinating
Serves 4
Ingredients
750g (1 1/2lb) ripe small strawberries
¼ cup (60 g/2 oz) caster sugar
2 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
½ cup (125 g/4oz) mascarpone, to serve
Directions
1.) Wipe the strawberries with a clean damp cloth and hull them. Halve large strawberries.
2.) Place the strawberries in a glass bowl, sprinkle the sugar evenly over the top and toss gently to coat. Leave for 30 minutes to macerate. Sprinkle the vinegar over the strawberries, toss and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3.) Spoon the strawberries into four glasses, drizzle with the syrup and top with a dollop of mascarpone.
Pair’s best with Helvetia Winery’s rosé of merlot
Shortbread Cookies
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Makes 20 cookies
Ingredients
¾ pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 -teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
6 to 7 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
1.) In bowl, mix with electric mixer the butter, and sugar until combined. Add vanilla.
2.) In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, and add them to the butter-and sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
3.) Roll the dough, ½-inch thick and cut with a cookie cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased backing sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Cool to room temperature.
4.) When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 3 ounces of chocolate in a class bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining chocolate and cool to room temperature, stirring often until smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled.
5.) Drizzle ½ of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.
Pair with Helvetia’s rosé of pinot noir