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VinePair Podcast: How Chile’s Wine Industry Is Leading the Way in Sustainability

There’s no doubt that sustainability is a topic of discussion in every wine-producing country and region around the world, but no country is doing more to push the conversation forward than Chile. Its Sustainability Code covers not just viticulture, but also practices in the winery and the way that wineries interact with their surrounding society.

This week on the “VinePair Podcast,” Adam Teeter and Zach Geballe are joined by Chilean winemakers Viviana Navarrete of VSPT Wine Group and Sofia Araya of Veramonte for a live podcast to wrap up VinePair’s Sustainability Week. They discuss why sustainability is so important to each of their winemaking ventures, how their definition of sustainability has expanded in recent years, and what they hope to achieve in the future.

Click here for a recap of VinePair’s Sustainability Week!

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Or Check out the Conversation Here

Adam Teeter: From Brooklyn, New York, I’m Adam Teeter.

Zach Geballe: And in Seattle, Wash., I’m Zach Geballe.

A: And this is the “VinePair Podcast.” Zach, this is live, so I can say you’re in a new room with a ton of wine behind you. Where are you, man?

Z: I’m in my new house in my recording studio part of the wine storage, which is the white wine room here behind me. The red wine room is outside, but much bigger and less suitable for recording. Yeah, a lot of lifting boxes over the last week or so.

A: All right. All right. Good for you, dude. Congratulations. So what have you been drinking? I mean, there’s a ton of wine behind you.

Z: Well, we have had some really lovely weather here in Seattle, which has made moving a little bit easier. Honestly, on Sunday, I had a couple of my cousins who are fully vaccinated, as are my wife and I, and they helped us move a couple of things. Then we cracked open a bottle of rosé, the Château de Campuget 1753, which is one of their slightly higher-end bottlings. Man, just sitting out on my deck in my new house with a glass of rosé, seeing my cousins with whom I haven’t had a glass of wine in over a year. It was actually a little emotional. It’s been a year-plus, obviously. And not everything is back to normal, of course, but it was really cool and very moving to be able to do that. A rosè that I enjoy, I don’t know that I call it my favorite, but it was definitely a part of a great reset moment. That was great. How about you? What have you been drinking?

A: Oh, man. Friday night, I had a little bit of fun. The same thing, I hadn’t seen my brother-in-law in a really long time, and he came and stayed with Naomi and me again because we’re all fully vaccinated. That was really nice and we did a bourbon tasting. I’d collected some really great bottles of bourbon over the course of last year. I brought out a few bottles and we tasted through them, and it was just a ton of fun. We ordered pizza and drank really good bourbon. We had some Eagle Rare. We had the Larceny everyone is talking about, the barrel-proof that I think some people said it was one of the top bourbons this year. We had some other really cool stuff, a brand called Barrell Bourbon, which is now one of the new cool kids on the block. They go in, and they source barrels. Their magic is in the blending, and they’ve wound up on both of our last two lists of best bourbons of the year in 2020 and now 2021. Those were some fun bourbons to try with him, and he hadn’t had them before so that was really fun. We also had Michter‘s because I just always liked Michter’s, so that was a blast. That’s always tried and true. Then, throughout the weekend, I got to take him to the VinePair office, which was great. We sampled some seltzers, and then that evening we joined up with Josh, because he’s fully vaccinated. We had our first dining experience, with friends and family, the four of us at a restaurant. We ordered this great bottle of a Cru Beaujolais that was delicious. Again, as I talked about before, I don’t remember the producer because I was at dinner and I was enjoying the conversation. I didn’t have time to pull out my camera and take a picture of the label, which again, I do not think wine discovery happens in restaurants. I think it happens through retail. Nonetheless, it was a great bottle of wine that was really fun and helped make the conversation continue. That was me, but let’s get on to our guests. I’m going to welcome them to the stage now and introduce both of them. So today, we’re really lucky to be joining the podcast by Sofia Araya of Veramonte and Viviana Navarrette of Viña San Pedro or VSPT Wine Group. Viviana and Sofia, thank you so much for joining us.

Viviana Navarrete: Thanks very much for the invitation.

Sofia Araya: Thank you for the invitation.

A: Of course. We want to chat with you both about your projects and what you’re doing in Chile with sustainability. I want to jump off with obviously, Viviana, what you’re up to in the south of Chile with your Tayú project. Can you tell us a little bit about that and what you and Viña San Pedro are doing in a community with indigenous people bringing vines to this area for the first time and making wine?

V: Well, I have been very, very fortunate to be invited to participate in this project. As you say, it comes from the south of Chile in the Malleco Valley, which is an unexplored valley of only 130 hectares of vines. The wine production there almost doesn’t exist. It started back in 2015 when we decided to have social work. Viña San Pedro has been working towards sustainability for a long time. I would say 10 years back they have been developing the biggest biogas plant in the world, producing energy. They have solar panels in the vineyards producing their own energy. However, there was one pending thing, and that was social work. They decided to start exploring native communities, in this case, the Mapuche people, and they started working together with the government exploring this area. That was magical. It’s just fantastic, Adam, because they join two areas. One was with social development and the other was coming down south in Malleco, which is a great place for producing whites and reds like Pinot Noir. We arrived at this place and started to search native communities, and ended up in a community that is named Buchahueico. Twenty-four families, and they didn’t have any knowledge about viticulture because in the past they only knew forest production or animal production. The problem is that they don’t have a business at all. The younger generation doesn’t have jobs there, so they have to go to bigger cities to earn money. It was a beautiful chance for us to see that one production could be used as a social tool for social development. We started there first with only two families. Now, we are working with six families. This winter, we are planting with three more families. It’s really beautiful to see that every year, new families are showing a lot of enthusiasm about being part of this project. To see that they can have something for themselves, it’s a beautiful business for the future.

A: That’s awesome.

Z: Sofia, can you tell us as well? We want to come back to this concept of understanding how sustainability has all these different elements to it. Those of you who listen to last week’s episode of the podcast, that’s something Adam and I have talked a lot about. Sofia, can you give us some background on Veramonte, where it’s located, and what you are doing as well?

S: Yes, we have been working to keep a regional association. We have two states or two areas that we develop our project. One is Casablanca, where we have our main building and winery. Also, we have another two states in the Colchagua region, which is in the Apalta area and the Montes area. More or less, between all of those states, we have 500 hectares. In 2012, we decided that we really wanted to connect our wines to the surrounding areas. We thought it was a unique space that we have, especially in Casablanca. We did a biodiversity study on the hills surrounding our estate, and it’s a very well-preserved native forest. Since we saw there was a patrimony, we really wanted to let the wines talk about that and we decided to start working organically. All of this started becoming bigger and it became more of a sign of sustainability. It became so powerful that we were also seeing benefits not only for the wines, but also for the people working at the vineyard and also the surrounding community. It first started as a winemaking philosophy that we wanted to be expressed through the wines. Later on, it started becoming something bigger. The community and the sustainable concept came to be spoken. All of this started in 2012 as a philosophy. Now we had our certification for all of the 500 hectares in 2018. We are very proud of the organic certification. Our work is mainly organic. We’ve been very focused on the environmental aspect of sustainability. Also, we have been working very close to the community, especially in the Casablanca state. Now we have a community garden that is worked by the people that live in the nearby community. This was all put together with the tourist area that also got involved in the concept of sustainability. That’s briefly talking about it because we’ve been really into what viticulture and the environmental aspects of the organic work meant for a while.

A: Interesting. So talking about sustainability as a whole. You’re both working on different projects, Tayú and Veramonte, doing different practices. How do both of you as winemakers come to understand sustainability? First of all, how do you define it? I know it’s something that we’re trying to define. If you are able to define it, do you think there should be a formal certification for it internationally? This is a conversation we had yesterday that I’m curious about your thoughts on as well.

V: If you work with nature, you have to be responsible and be committed to what you are using. It’s not just a business, it’s not just taking the grapes, putting them in a bottle, shipping and selling it. You have to be responsible and be holistic in the whole view. In the end, what everybody knows about sustainability comes from the word sustainable. It’s funny when you Google it because sustainable means to be able to sustain in the long term. You have to be responsible for that. There’s a beautiful sentence from Patricio Parra, general consorcio in Chile, where he says, “When you see the global changing of the climate, you don’t just have to adapt. Not only have to adapt, but you have to mitigate it.” That is a responsibility that everyone has. I feel really proud to be part of the VSPT group. When you see all the different areas that the winery is taking on, but especially in the social area, you see the code we have as a country. We have a strong code that is the code of sustainability in the Chilean wine industry. The thing that is stronger compared to all the other countries is the social area. Coming back to the Tayú project, it is fantastic to be part of this to show the world that you can use wine production not only as a passion but go one step further. In my case, I always say that this type of project has made me not only a better professional and winemaker, but it has made me a better person. When you get that involved in your heart, in the way you live in the world by making wines, I would say it’s a gift. To have the chance to spread it to your colleagues, to the other winemakers. In Chile, we are living a beautiful time in the wine industry because there’s a number that is so important, that 80 percent of the Chilean wine bottles that are exported participate in this sustainable code. It’s huge in this area. If you compare vineyards that are in Chile that are committed to this social code, it is 123,000 acres, which is just the surface of Napa Valley together with Sonoma. I think we should feel proud as Chilean winemakers.

S: Yeah, I agree with Viviana. I have a strong environmental aspect that I always get from the sustainable concept because that’s an experience I had. Later on, the social aspect came into the conversation. That’s why I always think of nature first. However, sustainability should be considered as a holistic point of view that Viviana is talking about. Social aspects, environmental aspects, and financial aspects should be considered. In my personal experience, I was able to see the difference and the evolution of the vineyards when we came from conventional, chemical work towards the organic, sustainable work in the environmental aspect. I saw the difference in both the quality of the grapes, the resilience of the vineyard, and also in the philosophy and culture of the people. The main work we had to do was change the culture of people. It’s unavoidable that it becomes social, and that’s the path we followed. I think Viviana makes a great point when we talk about the national code of sustainability because it has a very powerful and strong social aspect. All, if not most of the wineries are, I believe, 50 percent of the wineries or the producers have applied and are certified in our Chilean code. I think it’s something to consider. All of the Chilean wineries are thinking sustainable, because there’s no other way. We have to be responsible. We have a very strong philosophy for future generations. Not only focus on the present, but also on the future and what we’re going to leave for the future generations. To be a patrimony for them, to be able to enjoy and not having to take care of, I think, it’s a very powerful concept.

Z: Sofia, you mentioned before how with organic agriculture or viticulture, part of the motivation was that you thought or the Veramonte team thought it would produce better wine. Do you believe that you can tell the benefits of that in the wine and in the winery? People who might be skeptical of the merits of thinking about things this way often look at sustainability efforts as costly and hard to justify. They don’t immediately reward the winery or the business. They don’t necessarily result in higher sales or higher prices. They can. However, can either of you speak to how in the actual end product, you believe the wines have been enhanced by being sustainable?

S: Well, in my experience, at least quality-wise of the wines, what I have seen is that going organic, there is a resilience that allows the vines to react better, to read the weather conditions. You won’t see big changes or big switches between one harvest or another, such as a drought or a heatwave, or a very cold season. There’s a certain stage that the vines will remain on, that you can rely on. There’s a certain quality that you can rely on. There’s a consistency that I think plays a very important factor in the sense of the quality of the wine later on. That being the quality aspect, I also think that consumers nowadays — especially younger generations — are more informed. They are finding more information. They want to know how what they are eating or drinking is produced, what is inside of the glass, or inside of what they are having. They want to see the responsibility of the industry related to that in every sense, not only environmentally, but also in every aspect of the chain. I’m not sure if I answered your question.

Z: I think that point is a good one, which is that when that message is communicated to lots of consumers, that message resonates. There’s a big portion of consumers that want to support sustainable viticulture and sustainable winemaking. Is that your sense too, Viviana?

V: Yeah, definitely. When I started, we had vineyards planted, and I’m a Pinot Noir lover. Of course, we came back and we fought against the weeds and the pests with herbicides. Since eight years ago, we started to be organic. We were not certified because we were not doing it by the logo, but by philosophy. I’ve been working in Leyda for 14 years now, so what I’ve seen is that the skin of the berries is getting thicker. For example, Leyda Valley is very close to the South Pacific Ocean. It’s only 12 kilometers so it’s really affected by humidity and cold temperature. I’ve seen the grapes develop skin that is a little bit thicker. In a way, they can naturally combat and fight against that. The other thing that I see beautifully, is the wines are getting more vibrant in the glass. When I make the vinification and then once in the bottle, if I compare back to 10 years or 12 years back, I see that they are beautifully brilliant, vibrant, and very juicy. Of course, there’s part of vinification that we have to change. However, when you see the portfolio, that change in the upper tier is associated with working organically. Also, we are going to be more responsible, to have the vineyards clean, the canopy more balanced, the soil brief. You have microorganisms naturally as well. Finally, the roots go deeper and it’s something that, again, you really find in the glass.

A: Well, I have a question for both of you, and I’m going to call out someone that I saw is watching. A friend of mine, Patricia, who’s the winemaker at Planeta in Sicily, was texting me last night and asked me after watching another session if I thought that it was harder to explain sustainability to consumers than organic? Do we think that eventually, consumers will understand sustainability? Also, in a lot of ways, it’s better than just simply organic certification in the future. The idea of understanding organics because we see an apple in the grocery store and we also know that it’s organic. When we talk about sustainability, we’re talking about not just how we’re treating the land, but the people, everything. The entire full picture. Is that a harder sell? If it is a harder sell, how do we explain to consumers why it is much better for everyone, that we’re operating sustainably than just simply going and getting organic certification? I’m curious what you both think about that question because I thought about it a lot after she asked it. I want to deeply believe that we’ll be able to explain to consumers why it’s better and why they should care, but I’m curious, as other winemakers, what you think?

V: Well, what I think as we spoke before, sustainability is more holistic, and you have four different areas. One, it’s not only the vineyards where you can be organic. You have the second area that is the winemaking and the bottling process. Then, you have this third area that is social development. Lastly, you have the fourth area that is new, which is tourism. It’s a big picture. When you go sell the wines and you say, “Did you know that there are workers in our winery that haven’t finished school and the winery pays for them to finish?” These wineries are giving workers a better chance to be better professionals and better people. Of course, they’re going to feel happier in the winery working with better performance. When you see that aspect or the long-term contracts that we have with the producers, it’s not only the process of buying the grapes and crushing them. No, there is a commitment with the producers. We get together. We gave them free consultancy. We work with them, giving charts and speaking about responsible alcohol consumption. We give them explanations about how to have a better life with their families. When you go deeper into that aspect and are able to spread it, you are not only committed to the land. Also, being in the cellar, you are responsible for decreasing the amount of water use. We are decreasing about 30 percent in the cellar. At San Pedro, 50 percent of the energy that we use is generated from ourselves using solar panels. When you show all of this, you say, “Well, this is not just the land.” I repeat, maybe the land is the most important thing, but it’s holistic. How can we make this business sustainable in the end, to be responsible with the natural resources and keep them as a safety to the future generation? When you have the tools, I think you can extend it for good. I’m sure people are going to evaluate it, definitely.

S: Yes, I agree with Viviana. I think it’s a matter of time until people understand better what happens behind a bottle, because there’s so much information out there. The same thing we’re doing right now, winemakers talking directly to people. We can also explain how we do things. We can give out information so people start becoming more knowledgeable. Therefore, I think it’s just a matter of time. If we keep talking about sustainability and what the aspects of sustainability are, people will understand better. They will find there’s an ethical aspect in the social aspects of sustainability that is important to keep in mind. Now, you may go for the glass of wine where you know that the people are well treated. That they receive the wages they deserve. They receive the opportunities they deserve. I also believe it’s a matter of education. I’m not sure how to specifically do it, but I think it’s inevitable that people start talking more about it because it’s something we are more aware of now, especially from the environmental aspect. However, I think it is linked. We are supposed to stick with people because we live in the environment. We have to take care of that. We have to be responsible for that.

Z: Viviana, you mentioned a moment ago that there are these four components of the sustainability certification in Chile, and you mentioned one that I am particularly curious about, which is tourism. One way for people listening to this or watching this, to support sustainable winemaking in Chile is to buy these wines and other wines that carry that designation. One of my great regrets in life so far is that I didn’t visit Chile when my sister was living there.

A: You missed out.

Z: I really felt that I did. So I intend one day to make up for that by going to visit. I’m curious how you both see tourism or wine tourism as being a part of sustainability because I think sometimes the perception can be, from me and others, that tourism is something that is neutral or sometimes arguably is harmful. How is it seen as an important and sustainable part of the wine industry in Chile?

V: That’s for Sofia.

S: Well, the sustainability code included tourism because there’s a social aspect in tourism and there’s also the consumer aspect of tourism. It felt important to consider. There are a few things that I think are easy to understand the impact of. For example, managing waste, or recycling. Also, gardens, if you do wine tourism, you have a lot of gardeners and then you have a lot of receivables from it as well. You can make compost, for example, or you can include the community for different things to make the experience of the touristic activities more enjoyable or more complete. You can have a part of the community selling their vegetables or selling their handicrafts within the facilities of your winery. You have them participate. These are just a few examples. Not everyone will do them, but it is included and considered on the sustainability code. All of this together, I think, will make for more responsible wine tourism. In our particular case, we have this community garden that I was telling you about. It was an initiative from the mayor. He noticed there was this need for the people of the community. They needed the land. They needed space to develop their orchards. We had space, we had the water, so why not give them space? We give them the water. We actually at that time had a restaurant. It was an interesting circle happening there. And of course, organically, that made even more sense for them because, in that way, they have an extra value added to not only their product, but also to their lives and knowledge. We had to teach them how to do that. That touristic aspect of the sustainability code makes a big impact. Nowadays, because of the context, it’s not really easy to put it there as a concrete offer in the short term, but hopefully in the long term, you will be able to see us, Zach, when you come.

Z: Hopefully, not in the long term. I want to in the short term.

S: Also, there are some financial aspects of sustainability which include the activity of tourism and so on. I think this is not easy or not so obvious to consider the tourism activity within the context of sustainability. I think if we really want to talk sustainable, let’s make the process, the chain including the consumer and the tourists because at the end of the day, they are one of the consumers. We have to include them within this concept of sustainability.

A: That’s great, so Viviana and Sophia, I want to thank you so much for joining us. We’re going to jump into a few audience questions here because we don’t usually get to take live audience questions. I’m going to read through some of these, and they’re mostly posed to all of us, so all of us can jump in here. The first one, Patricia, I’m going to let her ask a follow-up. Zach, this is probably for you and I specifically. Patricia asks: “I’m really curious how you see sustainability accepted in the world markets, as in Europe, sustainability as certification is often questioned often against organic. When European consumers look at someone who says they’re a winery that’s sustainable, they assume an organic winery is superior. The question is, will we ever get past that where people will understand the difference of sustainability and that there’s so many amazing things about sustainability? What do you think? Do you think we will? Do you think ‘big grocery’ has helped? I think that is the difference, right? I think wine is really held to a higher standard than a lot of other beverages and a lot of other foods, to be fair.” Patricia, if we’re really being honest with ourselves, wine is something that we expect a lot from. Unfortunately, the consumer doesn’t get to be educated every single day about why the things that wineries are doing are so important. But when we go to a grocery store, we see an entire section devoted to organics. We see organic milk, cheese, and apples. We expect that same certification. We don’t understand as consumers that certification actually pertains to a very small portion of the wine. Probably just to how it was farmed and maybe some other things that happened in the winery but that’s about it. It’s going to take more conversations like this to help people realize that actually sustainability is a preferred thing you should look for when it comes to wine, but I’ve said my piece. I’m curious what you all think because it’s going to take more noise or people won’t know the difference.

Z: Yeah, I want to say something and then I would love to get Sofia’s input on this as well. I think the grocery store organic produce comparison is an important one. Rarely does the consumer know where it came from. You go to a grocery store and maybe you go to Whole Foods or other upscale grocery stores and they might say what state it’s from. Maybe they’ll say the farm, depending on the location. A lot of the produce we buy, even those of us who are pretty conscientious, we don’t know exactly where it came from unless we’re buying it directly at a farmers’ market or something like that. Wine is so different because, for the most part, we know which winery made it. If we know a little bit about the winery or the region, we know exactly where it came from. It gives us this sense that it’s a higher standard you mentioned, Adam, but it also means that organic is apparently enough when it comes to produce. If you told someone, “Oh, this is a sustainably grown tomato,” they would say, “What do you mean by that?” We just need to keep explaining to people that wine is both agriculture for sure, but it’s also all these other things that we’ve been talking about in this conversation and in other ones that we’ve had this week. It’s labor practices, it’s energy usage, carbon footprint, and it’s tourism. In wine, because it’s such a premium product, it has both a burden, but also an opportunity. I have the Veramonte bottle here and on the back, granted, it’s not huge, but it’s got the certified sustainable wine of Chile being on the back label. If you get someone to turn that around or you’ve got that on a shelf talker, I do think there are consumers who will look at that and say, “That matters to me.” We just need to keep encouraging both on the consumer side and on the winery side, both doing things sustainably. It’s so exciting that Chile, as a country, is doing this. I think more regions and countries should be coming up with similar codes and saying, “Look, this is important to us because it makes sense both in the short and long term, to be thinking about this.” We all want there to be a wine industry in all these places in 10, 20, 30 years. I certainly want to be drinking wine from all these places and others so there has to be buy-in on all fronts. Patricia, some of that is just pushing that rock up that hill every day. It’s not going to happen overnight, but over time, I think the consumer will understand if we continue to talk about it.

V: I totally agree with what Adam said about education. If I remember, I’ve been in the wine business for 20 years and when I started, nobody talked about vegan wines or organic wines. It didn’t exist in those times. Now, sitting here and speaking about sustainability, I say, “Wow, in 20 years we have grown. We have done a lot.” I’m sure Chile is working really strong on this sustainable code. When you see a total region that is pushing a thing because all of the wineries believe in that thing, you start teaching and educating people. If you see the Nordic countries, Finland and Sweden, they’re very connected with sustainability, and they ask about these wines. Also in Canada, they are also friendly about this concept. The tenders and the leasing that they throw through the world, ask sometimes for sustainable wine. I think it’s definitely here to stay.

S: I agree. I think it’s something that has been here for a while. We just didn’t notice but it’s becoming stronger, and not going to get any weaker. It’s only going to grow. If we ourselves are not thinking the same way and seeing the opportunity we have here, then we are not going to be sustainable enough to be here for the next 20 or 30 years. That is one of the purposes of being sustainable, anyway. I think it’s a matter of understanding the difference, It’s not the same, as you say, being organic or sustainable. It’s the bigger picture practicing sustainability. Organic is just one of the aspects that you can understand, but there are plenty more.

A: One last question before we go. Patricia has a follow up, though, which was, “We definitely do need to figure out an efficient elevator speech.” I agree it’s a lot to explain sustainability, but we do have to figure that out. Patricia goes on to say, “What do you think it is about Chile, specifically? Viviana, you mentioned, 80 percent of the wineries in Chile are sustainable. What is it about Chile specifically that has caused it to become a country that has focused so much on sustainability? Did that come from the government? Did that come from the winemakers? Did that come from the consumers? How did that happen?” That’s the question. I think part of the question, then, we can learn from is, how could that happen in other countries? If there’s such a strong push for sustainability in Chile, how can we take the lessons of how it happened in Chile and take that to other places?

V: I’m not prepared for giving you that answer, Adam. Now, what I know is that the wines of Chile have done a great job in this, and I think they are responsible for pushing the industry together, creating this code and, of course, all the wineries jumping in. I think it’s because of the strong work of Wines of Chile. Definitely.

A: Very cool. Well, thank you both so much for joining us. It’s been a really awesome conversation. Zach, I’ll see you not on video, but in the recording studio next week.

Z: Sounds great.

Thanks so much for listening to the “VinePair Podcast.” If you love this show as much as we love making it, then please leave a rating or review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever it is you get your podcasts. It really helps everyone else discover the show.

Now for the credits. VinePair is produced and recorded in New York City and Seattle, Wash., by myself and Zach Geballe, who does all the editing and loves to get the credit. Also, I would love to give a special shout-out to my VinePair cofounder, Josh Malin, for helping make all this possible and also to Keith Beavers, VinePair’s tasting director, who is additionally a producer on the show. I also want to, of course, thank every other member of the VinePair team who is instrumental in all of the ideas that go into making the show every week. Thanks so much for listening, and we’ll see you again.

The article VinePair Podcast: How Chile’s Wine Industry Is Leading the Way in Sustainability appeared first on VinePair.

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shelfnovel12-blog · 5 years

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Rose Sangria

This Rose Sangria recipe is an easy way to serve a fun summer-y cocktail at a party without having to individually make drinks for each guest. Make this sangria using rosé wine flavored with summer fruit ahead of time and check one thing off your to-do list. It’s refreshing, festive and so delicious.

Rose Sangria Recipe

Are you ready for your favorite new summer cocktail? Rose Sangria is here, and it’s going nowhere all summer long! Of course, we love our FROSÈ recipe, but sometimes you need a big pitcher of a drink you make ahead so you can enjoy your evening with friends.

When entertaining, the last thing you want to do is be stuck by the bar making cocktails all night long. I’ve done it, I do it sometimes, but let’s be real, it’s not ideal. A pitcher of your favorite drink is perfect, so you can actually enjoy your evening, too! We love this pitcher of rosè sangria because it’s fruity, refreshing, and the perfect sangria recipe that everyone will love.

To make Rosè Wine Sangria you need:

A Pitcher

Serving Glasses

A Mixer (to keep that sangria mixed well, mine comes in my bar set)

Your favorite Rosè

Fresh fruit

Orange Liquor

Honey or simple syrup of choice

Seltzer

Ice, for serving

And a few other optional, special touches to customize (see below)!

What I love about this rose sangria recipe is that it’s customizable! You can switch up the fruit you add, the liquor, and you can swap the optional liqueurs, too! It’s a fun, colorful drink that can work with basically any dinner menu.

How far in advance should sangria be made?

Sangria should be made at least 2 hours before serving, so all the fruit can mix well with the rest of the ingredient and so that it can have time to chill! Sangria gets better and better as it sits, so even 6-12 hours ahead will be great.

Tips for Making the Best Rose Sangria Recipe:

Keeping your sangria cold: Add frozen fruit to keep your sangria cold once removing it from the refrigerator, without watering it down with tons of ice!

When to add the ice: Just before serving, stir sangria again and pour into glasses over ice cubes.

Fresh Fruit on hand: Have additional fresh fruit on hand to add to your sangria, so your not just serving soggy alcohol-soaked fruit. Spoon fruit into each glass before serving.

Picking your wine: Wine, of course, is the center of this cocktail, so choose a wine that is fruity but dry. You don’t need to pick anything too fancy! I like Whispering Angel or La Vielle Ferme.

Other favorite cocktail recipes:

Ingredients

Base Sangria:

1 (750-ml) bottle rosé wine of choice

1/4 cup (2 ounces) Cointreau or Triple Sec

1 cup seltzer water

Juice of 1 lemon

2 oranges, 1 sliced and 1 juiced

2 tablespoons honey or simple syrup, more as desired

1 cup strawberries, sliced 1 cup

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

Ice, for serving

Optional Add-Ins:

1/4 cup vodka of choice

1 cup balled watermelon pieces

1/2 cup diced peaches

Fresh mint leaves

Directions

1. Place all the ingredients in a pitcher at least 2 hours before serving, and up to 6 hours.

2. Stir to combine. Taste and add additional sweetener as desired.

3. Place ice into glasses. Pour in the sangria and serve!

Recipe Notes

If you want to prepare this the day ahead of time, you can mix all of the ingredients together except the fresh fruit and ice. Add the fruit 2 hours before serving.

Want to keep it cold in a pitcher without diluting the flavor? Use frozen fruit in place of ice cubes.

Make your watermelon balls using a melon baller!

You can substitute gin or tequila in place of vodka

Loading nutrition data...

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Source: https://lexiscleankitchen.com/rose-sangria/

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freonsuit52-blog · 5 years

Text

Rose Sangria

Rose Sangria Recipe

To make Rosè Wine Sangria you need:

A Pitcher

Serving Glasses

A Mixer (to keep that sangria mixed well, mine comes in my bar set)

Your favorite Rosè

Fresh fruit

Orange Liquor

Honey or simple syrup of choice

Seltzer

Ice, for serving

And a few other optional, special touches to customize (see below)!

How far in advance should sangria be made?

Tips for Making the Best Rose Sangria Recipe:

Keeping your sangria cold: Add frozen fruit to keep your sangria cold once removing it from the refrigerator, without watering it down with tons of ice!

When to add the ice: Just before serving, stir sangria again and pour into glasses over ice cubes.

Fresh Fruit on hand: Have additional fresh fruit on hand to add to your sangria, so your not just serving soggy alcohol-soaked fruit. Spoon fruit into each glass before serving.

Picking your wine: Wine, of course, is the center of this cocktail, so choose a wine that is fruity but dry. You don’t need to pick anything too fancy! I like Whispering Angel or La Vielle Ferme.

Other favorite cocktail recipes:

Ingredients

Base Sangria:

1 (750-ml) bottle rosé wine of choice

1/4 cup (2 ounces) Cointreau or Triple Sec

1 cup seltzer water

Juice of 1 lemon

2 oranges, 1 sliced and 1 juiced

2 tablespoons honey or simple syrup, more as desired

1 cup strawberries, sliced 1 cup

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

Ice, for serving

Optional Add-Ins:

1/4 cup vodka of choice

1 cup balled watermelon pieces

1/2 cup diced peaches

Fresh mint leaves

Directions

1. Place all the ingredients in a pitcher at least 2 hours before serving, and up to 6 hours.

2. Stir to combine. Taste and add additional sweetener as desired.

3. Place ice into glasses. Pour in the sangria and serve!

Recipe Notes

If you want to prepare this the day ahead of time, you can mix all of the ingredients together except the fresh fruit and ice. Add the fruit 2 hours before serving.

Want to keep it cold in a pitcher without diluting the flavor? Use frozen fruit in place of ice cubes.

Make your watermelon balls using a melon baller!

You can substitute gin or tequila in place of vodka

Loading nutrition data...

Source: https://lexiscleankitchen.com/rose-sangria/

0 notes

wineanddinosaur · 3 years

Text

Next Round: Jessica Tomei, Winemaker at Cupcake Vineyards

On this episode of “Next Round,” host Zach Geballe chats with Jessica Tomei, the winemaker at Cupcake Vineyards. Tomei details exciting new developments at the vineyard, including the introduction of Cupcake LightHearted Wines. In addition, Tomei showcases Cupcake Vineyards’ lineup, which includes its Butterkissed Chardonnay, Red Velvet and Black Forest red blends, even a Prosecco Rosé.

Tomei also explains why low-alcohol wines may be healthier options. Tomei explains that, at Cupcake, she aims to create a lighter, more refreshing wine that can be easily taken on the go. Thus, Cupcake Vineyards is now producing canned wine.

Tune in to learn more about the exciting new developments happening at Cupcake Vineyards.

Listen Online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or Check out the Conversation Here

Zach Geballe: From Seattle, Wash., I’m Zach Geballe. And this is a “VinePair Podcast” “Next Round” conversation. We’re bringing you these episodes in between our regular podcast so we can explore a range of issues and stories in the drinks world. Today, I’m speaking with Jessica Tomei, the winemaker for Cupcake Vineyards. Jessica, thanks so much for your time.

Jessica Tomei: Thanks for having me.

Z: Yeah, our pleasure. Let’s start with your background. How did you get involved in wine and winemaking?

J: Well, I was a premed student at UC Davis, and as I was taking all the classes for the program and doing a lot of internships in the medical field, I realized that it wasn’t the right path for me. I started to take some other classes, and one of the classes that was offered was about the world of wine. I grew up in a close-knit Italian-Greek family where we always had wine on the table. My best friend growing up, her dad was a home winemaker. I had always had an interest in wine and the opportunity of attending UC Davis and its viticulture and enology program. Once I took that class, I said, “OK, this is really cool. I would like to learn more about this.” It was a perfect match for science but I was also interested in art, culture, and cooking. It seemed to encompass all of those subjects. I actually studied abroad in Spain for a year. Upon my return, I changed my major and started the viticulture and enology program, as well as my double bachelor’s in Spanish as well. That’s how I got into it.

Z: Then how did you end up at Cupcake?

J: Throughout my career, I worked in Sonoma, and then I worked in Italy and Chile, so I had this global experience. A recruiter alerted me to the Cupcake position, and I was really excited. I was hired in 2013 to work on a brand that was globally grown. One of the first wines I tasted during the interview process was the Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc. The idea of being able to make a wine that was really expressed in the region in which it was grown and then being able to sell it at this affordable price point where everyone could enjoy the wine was really impressive. It was something that I was really excited to join. I started with Cupcake in 2013, so it’s been almost eight years.

Z: Obviously, I imagine a lot of our listeners are pretty familiar. But would you mind giving an overview of Cupcake and some of the different wines that you make?

J: Sure. Cupcake Vineyards is based in California, but we are one of the first brands that were globally grown. In California, we make our Monterey County Chardonnay, our Butterkissed Chardonnay, our Cab, our Pinot Noir, Merlot, and also our Red Velvet and Black Forest red blends. We also are growing and making wine in New Zealand. We have our New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. We work with partners in Italy to grow and make our Prosecco Rosé and our Pinot Grigio, our Moscato d’Asti, and our Moscato. Then, we also have Malbec from Argentina, Shiraz from Australia. We think it’s a great brand to explore not only California wines, but also the globe.

Z: It sounds like you probably have some pretty serious airline status.

J: I did, that’s true. Also, we now have our Cupcake Lighthearted Wines, which are all grown in California.

Z: Yeah, I want to talk about those, and in particular the Rosé Prosecco in a minute. I do want to ask about some of the more core wines or at least the ones who have been around a little longer. One of the things that I think defines some of what Cupcake does is you have both a mix of varietal-driven wines and then blends. Especially with the blends, there must be a lot of consideration given to keeping the profile of the wine really consistent because that’s what consumers want, right? They know they like Red Velvet or the Black Forest. How do you do that as a winemaker? What are some of the considerations when you’re putting those wines together?

J: It all starts in the vineyard. We are making sure that we are working with the growers. We grow our own fruit as well to have the best quality fruit to start with, and then work with those vineyards year over year. That provides consistency in terms of the quality of fruit. Of course, the wine industry is in the agricultural business, so it depends on the growing year, weather, and climate as well. For the Red Velvet and the Black Forest, we use a consistent regime on those wines, which provides some of that mocha that the consumers really enjoy.

Z: Then, when it comes to adding new wines, and I’m going to talk about this through the lens of both Rosé Prosecco and the LightHearted wines, where does that process begin and how do you see it through? You can pick one or both, if you want to answer that. I’m just curious about how that comes about?

J: Do you want me to start with Cupcake then?

Z: Sure, that’s great.

J: OK, for example, our Chardonnay, the way that we make our Monterey County Chardonnay is that we are growing it. I’m based in Monterey County and we’re growing it anywhere from five miles from the winery to 20 miles from the winery. We bring it into our facility here. We press it and barrel-ferment it. The majority of the Chardonnay for Cupcake is American oak. We stir it on the lees until we get the mouthfeel that we want. Then it goes through a bottling. If you talk to a lot of winemakers, it starts in the vineyard. Yes, sometimes with larger brands, people think we’re just receiving wine from all over the place and putting the blend together, but really with Cupcake, we’re starting in the vineyard, growing it, working with the same growers, and growing our own fruit so that we can really control the quality in the vineyard. I spend a lot of my time actually with our growing team and out in the vineyard.

Z: Gotcha. I should have been clearer in my question, I apologize. What I was trying to ask is, when there’s a decision made to say, “Hey, we want to make Rosè Prosecco. That’s a category that we see real potential in,” for one, can you talk a little bit about that wine and also how the decision is made to add another wine to the lineup? As you said, there are growing partners and things around the world that require a lot of consideration. There is also market positioning as well. From your perspective, what goes into that whole process?

J: Oh, I’m sorry. Prosecco Rosé is a great example because the rosé category has exploded in popularity, and it continues to grow. Not only that, but it’s now a rosé wine you can find year-round, which is really exciting. As soon as the DOC in Italy approved that we were allowed to make Prosecco rosé, of course, we wanted to make one. It not only follows the market trends, but it’s also something we think we can do a really good job of making a Prosecco rosé and providing it to our customers. The DOC allowed 10 to 15 percent Pinot Nero [Pinot Noir] in the Prosecco Rosé. We’re doing around 10 percent. It’s really fun because it’s the first time the Prosecco Rosé is being made, and we’re one of the first ones in the marketplace. It’s fun for both winemakers and wine lovers that we now have the Prosecco Rosé. Then, the Cupcake LightHearted is something that created a new market segment for wine in terms of the trend of hard seltzers and beverages. There were some wines that were out there that were very interesting. They’re interesting, but they’re not, to me, it’s not something I would go back and buy again. I really wanted to make a wine that fit into being lower-alcohol, lower-calorie, but also delicious because I think as wine consumers, we drink wine because we find it delicious.

Z: Yeah, absolutely. Can you talk a bit about how those wines are made? I know we’ve had a couple of conversations on the podcast before looking at these lower-alcohol or -calorie wines, but I don’t want to assume that yours are made the same way. How do you get to that finished product?

J: Yes, we’ve been working really hard with the varietals that we’re making for Cupcake LightHearted. We’re making a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, a Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir, and a rosé. We’re starting in the vineyards so we’re picking at a lower level. That lower brix level is translating to a lower alcohol level. If we’re going to make a Cabernet and pick it at the lower brix level, it’s going to be super green. We’re working with varieties that tend to still have really nice aromas and flavors at those lower brix levels. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are historically picked earlier for sparkling wine. We’re just making these now for lower-alcohol wines. Again, starting in the vineyard and then it follows the same protocol that we make for our wines in terms of they’re stainless-steel fermented and selecting yeast that will produce specific esters. It’s just wine picked earlier in the vineyard. The Cupcake LightHearted is 8 percent alcohol, 80 calories, and less than one gram of sugar per serving.

Z: Gotcha. Obviously, as the winemaker, I’m sure you talk with the marketing and sales teams. Is the audience for those wines the same as the audience for the Cupcake wines not in the LightHearted line? Are you finding that you’re getting a different segment of the audience?

J: Yes, I think there’s definitely some overlap in the audience. Both Cupcake and Cupcake LightHearted wines are, I think, the customers looking for something enjoyable. A wine that they can enjoy and celebrate with friends or even for Taco Tuesday. I’m not a marketing expert, but I think that we’re also bringing in some new consumers to wine from those consumers that are drinking the hard seltzers, for example. It’s a better-for-you option, but it’s still early. We launched this in 2020. The idea is we’re bringing in consumers that are more mindful about their choices of what they’re putting into their body. One of the reasons I am really excited about Cupcake LightHearted is that, obviously, I am a winemaker and wine connoisseur, but I also have three kids. I am super active. I like to hike, run, go surfing, and golf. I want to make sure I can still drink wine and not throw off my fitness routine, my work routine, and my family routine. These lower-alcohol wines still taste delicious. They offer up an option that still tastes delicious but won’t throw off tomorrow’s schedule.

Z: Shifting gears just a little bit. One thing that is done with the wines is a lot of the wines obviously are bottled, but you guys have a growing presence in cans. I’m wondering, as a winemaker, are there any different considerations when you know that a wine is going to end up in a can versus a bottle. Consumers, people in the media, and the trade sometimes view those differently. Is there any difference in the wine? If not, is there any consideration given to the final destination, or once you drink it, it all tastes the same?

J: At Cupcake, we have our Sauvignon Blanc, our rosé, and sparkling rosé in the cans. They are the same wine that you’ll find in the bottle. However, the one thing that we do have to take into consideration is the SO2 levels. In wine, we add S02 as antimicrobial as well as antioxidants, and you want to have it at a lower level than what you would in a bottle because of the chemistry that happens in the can. That’s really the only difference. But yes, they’re the same wine.

Z: How is the decision made then? What wines get put in canned versus not? Obviously, you’re not putting the entire lineup in cans. How has that been determined?

J: I think that’s a great question. I was thinking about that where you don’t find our Cabernet in the can or the Red Velvet in the can. It’s the idea of the occasion. Putting them in a can makes them portable when you’re going to have them at the pool, at the beach, or in your backpack for a hike. That drove the decision for those varietals. They can be their best chilled. For those activities, the lighter, refreshing, delicious wines are portable and packable. I think the occasion is driving the decision for putting those in the can. Also, Sauvignon Blanc is one of our best sellers and rosé as well. There are two and a half glasses of wine in the can, so you can share. You definitely can share it with a friend.

Z: Is there a thought to put the LightHearted lines in cans? It seems to be a natural fit.

J: I know. There are talks about it, but not yet.

Z: I’m not trying to get you in trouble here. You talked about this at the beginning, and I want to come back to it. But pre-pandemic, as I joked about before, I’m sure your job involves a fair bit of travel, but what was it like trying to coordinate the production of wine on multiple continents when you had to do it all virtually? Was it a lot more difficult than presumably in years past when you have been able to go visit, whether it was New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, or Italy? All these places I would actually love to go to. Now I’m really jealous, but what was it like or what has it been like?

J: I’m not there all the time. We already have a great team on the ground in those countries. A lot of communication and tasting of wines and blends was already being done remotely by sending samples. Then emailing or calling on the phone. I believe we were already set up pretty well for Covid. What has been interesting is domestic traveling. We are an essential business as a winery, we are in the food and agriculture sector. We have never stopped working. The safety of our employees in both the cellar and the vineyard was of top concern and always has been. We made sure everyone keeps distance, which is easier to do in the cellar and the vineyard than in some other industries, but that was the one thing with our marketing team and our winemaking team that really had to change. We launched Cupcake LightHearted virtually with our customers and our distribution teams because we couldn’t travel throughout the U.S. That was actually really fun because we would send samples out to everybody and then hop on a call, and everybody would be tasting at the same time from wherever they were. It was fun to see the innovation that stemmed from the challenges of Covid. In terms of production for international, it didn’t really change anything except for the actual in-person visit that would happen.

Z: Another question that occurs to me. During the pandemic, one thing that’s certainly true is that more consumers saw their wine purchasing shift to grocery stores. Cupcake obviously has a very strong off-premise presence. Was it hard keeping up with that increased demand? Wine isn’t the type of product where you can just turn a dial and make more. We’re not out of the pandemic yet, so how are you dealing with what I presume is increased demand?

J: We definitely have seen an uptick in sales, which is great, but we haven’t had to scramble in terms of making sure that we’re being seen on the shelf. We’re in a good position in our vintage ‘18 and vintage ‘19 because those are bigger harvests. What we have seen is that we’re transitioning to the newer vintages sooner than planned. We have plenty of wine, so that’s good, and we’re able to keep Cupcake on the shelf for our consumers.

Z: That’s obviously very important.

J: Yes.

Z: Well, Jessica, thank you so much for your time. Really appreciate it. It’s always interesting to learn more about a brand that’s so visible. I think sometimes in the wine world, it doesn’t really get talked about much. I really appreciate you taking some time to talk with us, and I look forward to seeing what you have in the works for the years to come.

J: All right. Thank you for having me.

Now for the credits. VinePair is produced and recorded in New York City and in Seattle, Wash., by myself and Zach Geballe, who does all the editing and loves to get the credit. Also, I would love to give a special shout-out to my VinePair co-founder, Josh Malin, for helping make all this possible and also to Keith Beavers, VinePair’s tasting director, who is additionally a producer on the show. I also want to, of course, thank every other member of the VinePair team who is instrumental in all of the ideas that go into making the show every week. Thanks so much for listening, and we’ll see you again.

The article Next Round: Jessica Tomei, Winemaker at Cupcake Vineyards appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/next-round-cupcake-vineyards/

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wineanddinosaur · 3 years

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VinePair Podcast: Which Drinks Will Dominate Summer 2021

This week on the “VinePair Podcast,” Adam Teeter, Zach Geballe, and Joanna Sciarrino discuss which drinks will dominate summer 2021. While the Margarita had its moment last year, our hosts discuss the newest wave of trendy sippers that listeners can expect to see on menus throughout the warm months.

While Sciarrino surmises that the Midwest hard seltzer smoothie trend — a mash-up of between of hard seltzers, smoothie beers and fruit-forward IPAs — will take over the nation, Teeter is certain that the Cosmopolitan will be this season’s biggest hit. Finally, Geballe believes that we will see the return of large-format and visually stunning drinks this summer.

Tune in for more.

Listen Online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or Check out the Conversation Here

Adam Teeter: From VinePair’s New York City headquarters, I’m Adam Teeter.

Joanna Scarrino: And I’m Joanna Scarrino.

Zach Geballe: And in Seattle, Washington, I’m Zach Geballe.

A: And this is the “VinePair Podcast.” And Zach, now you’re back to being the only one who’s working from home.

Z: As it always has been.

A: I mean, look, we’re still hybrid until September, but this feels good, man. It’s nice to be back in the office in Manhattan, just hanging out. What’s been going on with both of you guys, though?

J: Just keeping on, you know?

A: What else? What have you consumed that is in liquid form since last week?

J: Since last week? Let’s see. This past weekend, we had a few friends over to our roof. It was about 100 degrees and 100 percent humidity, so it was quite hot. And we had some Cynar Spritzes, and they were very, very good.

A: Look at you. You’re totally on trend.

Z: Not to spoil our topic, but is that a big trend right now?

A: I’m seeing a lot of people posting about it: “If you like Aperol and you like Campari, you’ll like Cynar.” It’s very funny with a lot of drinks influencers, people now want to show you that they’ve discovered something new. Nonetheless, Cynar is delicious. What was your recipe, Joanna?

J: We didn’t really use a recipe. We eyeballed it, so it was some Cynar, Prosecco, club soda, and Castelvetrano olives.

Z: Oh, olives? Interesting.

J: It’s a nice switch up from the Aperol Spritz.

A: Totally. That sounds really delicious. Zach, I think I told the story before about an olive and a spritz that resulted in Naomi never wanting to ever drink spritz ever again. Correct?

Z: Oh, my goodness. I don’t know the story. It sounds tragic, though.

A: Oh, it’s the best. For those that are regular listeners, you know that my wife has been a vegetarian since she was five. Basically, we were in Barcelona. And I think it was the first year that the spritz was really big. Aperol had pushed massive campaigns. A bunch of people told us about this amazing tapas restaurant on the beach owned by, I don’t know, one of these famous chefs who actually had a really fine-dining restaurant in Barcelona. You couldn’t get a price fixe, but he had this great tapas restaurant on the beach. We walked down to the beach in Barcelona. We’re sitting on the beach, and we thought to order spritzes because that was the thing that everyone is doing these days. We ordered them and they came with olives. And I’m enjoying my spritz and Naomi says, “Oh, I’ll eat the olives.” She puts the olives in her mouth and she says, “Adam, can you please eat one of these olives?” I said, “Why? I’m just enjoying my spritz. I don’t want to eat the olive right now.” And she said, “Please, right now, do it right now!” So I take the olive off the stick and I’m eating it. And I say, “Oh yeah, there’s definitely anchovy in this.” She literally got up and puked. Now she doesn’t trust a single spritz with an olive in it. Anyways, that’s my funny olive story.

Z: You see all kinds of weird shit with olives in Spain. It’s true.

A: Joanna, I mean not to be a creeper, but I also saw on Instagram that you seemed to have gone to a really nice restaurant recently and had some delicious cocktails as well, correct?

J: Yes. I was also going to mention that I went to dinner with my brother the other night at a restaurant called Dr. Clark in Chinatown. It’s a Japanese Hokkaido restaurant. And we had their house Martinis, which are made with Nikka Gin and Bermutto, which is this Japanese vermouth that I think Tim has spoken about on the podcast before. And it was really citrus-forward and really, really delicious.

A: Wow, that’s awesome.

J: Yeah, I’m not a huge gin person, but I know Tim really loves the Nikka gin.

A: Yeah, Nikka is delicious.

J: Give it a try. It was really great.

A: That’s awesome. What about you, Zach?

Z: I think the two things I’ve had recently that I really enjoyed was a bottle of some Chardonnay from a producer in Oregon. That’s Brickhouse, which is up in the Ribbon Ridge up in the Chehalem Mountains. And I probably have said this on the podcast before, but I’m a real believer in the current concept of Chardonnay in Oregon. For a while, the Willamette Valley was really pushing Pinot Gris as a white wine that they produced, even though for a variety of reasons, I think it’s in some ways better suited for both Chardonnay and Riesling. Then, there’s been a big resurgence in interest in Chardonnay. Some of it has to do with just getting better about where they’re planting it, which clones they’re using, etc. What’s great about Willamette Valley, Chardonnay occupies a unique position from what I’ve experienced on the West Coast, where it isn’t, generally speaking, going to get to the levels of ripeness that you find in much of California or here in Washington. The best ones are not made purely in lean, stainless steel. They’re not afraid of some oak, at least used oak, if not new oak. They want to get texture in the wines but because it’s not as hot, you’re not getting the tropical fruit notes that you find in a lot of West Coast Chardonnay, but more of the apple and citrus fruit that you can also find in Chardonnay, so that was really great. I also think about the other thing I had recently, and it’s funny because we’re all in a spritz mode. My wife — I guess I haven’t announced this on the podcast — is pregnant.

A: Congrats.

J: Congrats!

Z: Thank you! We’ve been playing around with some low-ABV options for her, because as with our first kid, definitely not not drinking at all, but got to be more cognizant of just how much. She’s a big Aperol Spritz fan, and she would certainly eat the anchovy-filled olive, just to note. I would say that one of my favorites of late is that I’ve been trying to make livened-up, diluted versions of classic cocktails. So I’ve made a Paper Plane that I served her long. More recently, I did essentially a Last Word. Actually, I take it back, it wasn’t really a Last Word. It just had lime juice and green Chartreuse as well a little bit of absinthe in it. It was really good, and I actually made one for her. I was going to have something else, but I ended up just having one of these for me, too. It was very tasty. If we’re moving past just Aperol in our spritzes, then Chartreuse is another great classic liqueur that fits that format really, really well and offers a different set of flavors than Aperol. What have you been having, Adam?

A: Thanks for asking. I was waiting. First of all, we had a staff party on Friday of last week, which was pretty awesome.

Z: I saw you sabering a bottle with an Amex.

A: First of all, I only did it because I saw that a friend of ours, Philippe, who’s a friend of the podcast, do it, and I just want to see if it could be done. I feel like I looked like a real jerk on Instagram when it was posted. But it was cool.

Z: I mean, it worked. That’s awesome. That’s all that matters.

A: Yeah, it was cool to know that you could do it. I was like, really? A credit card will actually saber a bottle of sparkling wine? And it did, so that was cool.

J: It was for the people.

A: It was research. But we had some delicious things there. Josh’s favorite beer, Grimm, made an appearance, of course, one of their IPAs. We had some really delicious rosès, Ameztoi Txakolina. Is that huge in Seattle or is that just a huge one here?

Z: Txakolina rosé?

A: No, the specific producer Ameztoi. They’re on our list.

Z: I don’t recognize the label on the top of my head, so let’s go look at the top 25 list you’ve been talking about, and I will let you know if I’ve seen it.

A: Interesting. We also had some really cool Beaujolais. Then, after Joanna, you left. Basically all day long, Tim McKirdy had a flask of Cynar with him, and he was convinced he was going to get people to pizza luge. For those who have not read Aaron Goldfarb’s article on our site about pizza luging, basically it’s this new phenomenon. People are taking it from “BoJack Horseman,” where it originated, I think. It is where you take a shot of Cynar and you run it down with a slice of pizza, and you drink it.

J: Well, it evolved out of the bone luge.

A: Yes, express fat washing. Tim is convinced he’s going to get people to do it. Finally, enough people had left where I thought, “If I make a fool out of myself, it’s OK.” Because apparently, it gets all over you. We figured out a way to do it where it doesn’t. Actually, you eat the tip of the pizza first, the pointy end, and then you make a luge. I did it, Josh did it, and Tim did it.

Z: With different slices of pizza or the same one?

A: No, different. You do it, and then you’re supposed to eat the slice of pizza. Basically, all it actually does is infuse the flavor of Cynar onto the pizza. It doesn’t do anything to the Cynar. It’s really just for the fun of it. Then, the pizza does have a flavor of Cynar, which was nice, but I did it. So that was the most exciting thing I did since I last spoke to you guys. I pizza luged.

Z: Somehow that video didn’t make it to Instagram.

A: No, I refused to allow anyone to have their phones out. I would not do it again because I don’t see the point. But now, I can at least say that I have done it.

Z: Adam, I looked up the Txakolina rosé and yes, this one is big. The Getariako one. It’s funny because Txakolina is one of these weird things where for me personally, I enjoy the rosé a lot. The whites, I can’t do because they’re just too crazy acidic for me. Some of those wines that you call the “enamel scrapers” are so high on acid. The rosés I really like, they’re delicious.

A: Cool. Let’s move on to the conversation we get to have every year but is always fun, which is: What do we think the biggest drinks of the summer are going to be?

Z: Cynar pizza Luge?

A: No. So you’re hearing this after Memorial Day. It’s always a really fun thing to reflect on. And since Joanna’s the newb, I think we should start with her.

J: All right. All right. We recently published this article about hard seltzer smoothies. It’s a trend coming out of the Midwest. It’s a mash up between the hard seltzer and smoothie beers and fruit-forward, hazy IPAs. I think that’s going to be a big trend this summer. Along those lines, I recently saw a sangria slushie made with sour beer and have been seeing a lot of beer slushies, too. I saw one at Torch & Crown, which is a brewery in Manhattan made, with IPA, fruit juice, and served with a Fernet floater.

Z: Whoa, that sounds like an adventure.

A: Yeah, that sounds like the most hipster drink you could possibly have. And to be fair, the Fernet is actually Faccia Brutto, which I love but is also like a Brooklyn Fernet. It’s all the things. Very, very funny. I could see those, potentially.

Z: Can you explain to me Joanna, because I read the article, but it was a couple of weeks ago now. What exactly is a hard seltzer smoothie? How does that make sense? Are they blended, or what?

J: There’s real fruit juice in hard seltzer, and it’s canned. It remains effervescent still and fizzy, and it’s kind of thick, as I understand. I haven’t had one. I think it’s the bottled smoothies that you might get at the grocery store. That type of consistency.

A: It’s similar to the smoothie beer trend, which was also really thick. A lot of the time they use lactose to give it this consistency. They’re starting with the base which is basically the same base you would use to start to make seltzer. Yeah, I don’t know. It was an interesting article to me. I don’t see the appeal. I think it’s this other way to deliver flavor in an interesting way. It’s for people who are looking for that really big fruit flavor and that mouthfeel that you do get with a smoothie beer, but you’re not getting the beer-type stuff. You’re getting more of the clean, pure fruit you get when you drink a seltzer, if that makes sense. Whereas when you drink smoothie beers, a lot of it is like the smoothie IPAs where you’re getting the mango and the guava. Then, you’re also getting the hops and stuff like that. And that’s not happening here. It would just be mango-guava seltzer smoothie. You would taste mango-guava, and there would be that thicker mouthfeel.

Z: That is very interesting. It actually feeds into one of the trends I wanted to talk about. I think we are in the middle of a resurgence in, for lack of a better word, thick, rich mouthfeel drinks. I think it’s cyclical. This is the kind of thing that just comes and goes. And I think we are coming back to this era of wanting body in whatever we’re drinking. You’re seeing these smoothie hard seltzers as an example. I think you’re seeing a lot of talk about egg white cocktails again, which had a big moment in the early days of the craft cocktail surge, but then fell out of favor because they are a pain in the ass to make. We’ve done a number of interviews with producers of RTDs, and I have a couple more coming up. One of the things that we’ve talked about is that one of the crucial things to try and get right in some of these cocktails is the mouthfeel that you get when you stir a cocktail or shake a cocktail that you can’t really replicate if you’re just drinking it straight from the can. How they try and match what we expect texturally from some of these drinks, especially things like citrus-based drinks or even things that just tend to have more viscosity to them. I think that you’re even going to see this again and maybe we’re already seeing it with wine. Typically, we think of summer as exactly what you were talking about before, Adam. Rosé and stuff like that. I really do think we are in this period where we’re moving back away a little bit from super-lean, super-low-alcohol, crisp wines as the only white and rosé that people want to drink in the summer. And I think that there is a way in which — whether it’s because they’re using these wines as complements to food where you do want a little more body in some cases — I think it ties into what the mood that people are in, which is that austere wines are great for austere times. This is a weird, jubilant moment in this country where people are going back to their lives and they want to do fun shit and they want to be with each other. And I think there’s a way in which these wines with more texture, and drinks in general, feel a little more celebratory. I don’t know, that may just be a projection on my part, but that’s what I’ve seen of late, which is interesting to me.

A: I definitely think we’re seeing a return to richness. We’ve talked about this before, but we are seeing a return to things that were big in the ‘90s and early ‘00s. And a lot of that is being driven by Gen Z. One of the biggest jokes that millennials have about what’s happening on TikTok right now and on Instagram as well, if you follow those two platforms, there’s been a lot of these specific posts of, “Let me show you the secret place that you need to know about in x City.” It’s like PDT. We knew about PDT years ago, but it’s cool that you just discovered it. There was one really funny one last night that someone sent me that someone posted: “Oh, my gosh, I don’t want this place to blow up but you need to go to Vinegar Hill House now.” Someone said, “That restaurant’s been around since 2008.” It’s cool that you just found it, and we’re happy for you, but that is a very successful restaurant that’s been around for a very long time. And I think we’re going to see a return of people rediscovering cocktails that maybe aren’t really hot right now but that were hot 10 to 15 years ago. They are bringing them back, and one of the cocktails that I am convinced is coming back in a big way is the Cosmopolitan.

J: I’m seeing it on a lot of menus now.

A: A ton. This isn’t just me. Our data is supporting it if you start looking at the trends of what people are looking for in cocktails. I did an interview earlier today with the people who own Tattersall Distillery in Minneapolis, which I didn’t realize they’re doing 40,000 cases in sales after only six years of their spirits, which is insane. Their fastest- selling RTD is this new one they just came out with that’s a Cosmo. It’s in a full 750-milliliter bottle. And I asked them why they decided to do the Cosmo. They said a lot of these local distilleries have a cocktail bar connected, and it’s the No. 1-selling cocktail in their bar besides the Old Fashioned. Also, I’m sick of the genderization of drinks. Can we just get over it? If I want to drink a pink drink, it’s cool, man. No one’s saying you’re less of a man for drinking a pink drink, but what they’ve done is they make what they call a Cosmopolitan Bianco so it doesn’t have the pink color. He said it’s ordered even more by men than women, which I think is really interesting. And all they did was take the pink color out of it.

J: It’s just cranberry juice.

A: Yeah, they’re still using a cranberry flavoring, but they got rid of the pink. Also another thing that we talked about on this podcast before that he reiterated in the conversation is that they have a really hard time getting men in their bar to order any cocktail that is served in a coupe. I f*cking love a coupe, so I don’t care. Dante in the West Village in New York was the No. 1 bar in the world in 2019 and has an entire menu devoted to the Cosmo and Cosmo riffs. On the Rocks, which is probably the biggest RTD brand right now, they’re definitely the fastest growing, and Beam Suntory fully bought them out recently. One of their most popular skews is the Cosmo, another well-made one. You also have the return of “Sex and the City” and all this other stuff happening, and I think the Cosmo is going to be huge and we’re going to start seeing it a lot more. I think the brands that jump on it now are going to be really smart. Everyone else could think back and say, where were we? How did we miss this?

Z: I wonder why it stopped being taken seriously. A well-made Cosmo is a f*cking delicious cocktail. I don’t know, maybe because it’s vodka, maybe because it got gendered because of “Sex and the City.” I don’t know. I definitely went through a long stretch where people were afraid to order it. They’re saying, “I don’t want a Cosmo. What else do you have?” I would say, “Why don’t we make you a Cosmo? It’s a great drink.”

J: Aren’t there a lot of really badly made Cosmos, though?

A: Yes. I think we’ve talked about this before, but maybe we haven’t talked about it with you Joanna. I think what happened was that Cosmo was really popular, and Toby Cecchini, who made it famous. It’s still debatable if he invented it, though. Some people say he did. He’s a great bartender, and he invented it at the Odeon. Now he owns Long Island Bar in Brooklyn. He had a great drink, but then it spread across the country. There started becoming poor man’s iterations, including vodka with cranberry juice. It went from a drink that was really balanced with obviously the cranberry, the Cointreau, and the vodka. It’s really a delicious sour, right? All of a sudden, it converts into this crazy thing that’s just easier to make and not that good. People are squeezing lime into it and then it just became synonymous with bad bars and just getting wasted. I think that it was almost the reaction to the vodka cranberry. Then, it was reverberated up to the Cosmo, and it disappeared. Then, there was just the backlash of everything, especially ‘90s drinking culture in general. There was a time where it was the only cocktail. It was all you saw. What I think is funny is that they’re really, at this point in the country, two main cocktails, right? The Margarita is No. 1 and the Old Fashioned is No. 2. I mean, how many times do you walk into a top cocktail bar — and a third, I would say, of the drinks, you hear ordered are Old Fashioneds. There’s no backlash against those. I don’t know, I think it got unfairly targeted and also it got wrapped into the whole hatred of vodka and vodka not being a serious spirit. That fueled the hatred of the cocktail for whatever reason.

J: Speaking of pink drinks, what do we think about the color-changing spirits? They are everywhere now. Empress Gin. I’ve seen a lot of these color-changing gins.

Z: Yeah, that’s a fascinating one. I think that is something Adam and I talked about a while back when we were thinking about ways in which the bar scene might return post-Covid is, I think, the show will be a big part of it. There’s no doubt that color changes, or spirits that will noticeably but not as dramatically change color as you add ingredients or dilute them, will be very popular. I also think you could feed into this with the idea of the visual. I was in a restaurant that I might be working at going forward that serves several cocktails that are essentially smoked and served under a bell jar of smoke. All that stuff was popular beforehand. But again, it’s this idea in general of supporting an $18 cocktail on a list, and you have to have that visual flair component. Also, it’s a thing that very few people are going to do at home, but at a bar can be put together in a way that is maybe not easy, but is a lot more manageable than it is at home. I think that you’re right; that is going to be a big deal in these settings. You think about how cool that looks, not just to you, not just to the people at your table, but the people next to you. Bars rely on that as a big way to sell the next thing. I think we saw this, too, and we might see this again coming back: large-format drinks. Another area where that visual impact of that landing on the table or on the bar top is a huge thing. I think when we’re talking about drinks in bars, in particular, we’ve forgotten a little about them because most of us haven’t been in bars lately with those big, showy displays.

A: Yeah, I think we are definitely going to see large formats. I don’t know about you both, but I’m already seeing a snapback where there were things I think people were worried about, such as being at crowded bars again. Already I’m seeing people being more than willing to be in crowded spaces. I’m hearing about big events and stuff. The large format, especially the ones that are just really showstopping where you and your friends can all split this flamingo filled with some crazy cocktail, are definitely going to come back in a big way because, again, that’s just what people are looking for. And I do think that people are going to be looking for drinks that feel extremely celebratory this summer. The other thing we haven’t talked about, which obviously is the big elephant in the room, is Prosecco rosé. It’s just hitting the American market, and unfortunately for them, they already realize they probably didn’t make enough of it this year, so I think it will sell out pretty quickly. You combine bubbles that feel celebratory with pink, which is what has always been everyone’s favorite, and it’s just going to be this massive behemoth on the market this year. Some people are going to poo-poo it and say it’s stupid. But the majority of people are going to love it and are going to think it’s absolutely delicious. They’re going to buy tons and tons and tons of bottles of it because it just feels like what you should do right now. You’re getting together with people and popping bottles. I think that’s the one that is almost stupid for us to talk about, because if you haven’t realized that’s already going to be a trend and you listen to this podcast, then I would assume you’re interested in the drinks business and you just haven’t been paying attention because it’s going to be everywhere.

Z: I did an interview with Jessica Tomei, the winemaker for Cupcake, and we definitely talked a lot about Prosecco rosé and how much faith they have in that category as being a huge source of growth for them. They’re not alone, obviously.

A: Yeah, they’re not. Anything else? Do you guys have any other drinks? Any sleeper hits?

J: I don’t know. In this conversation that I was having with my friends over the weekend, we were talking about a bit of Aperol Spritz fatigue. That was the impetus for the Cynar Spritz, but maybe even more inventive Spritzes, as we mentioned earlier.

Z: I think that’s a great one. I think it’s very true. I also think that we talked a year ago during this podcast about fruit. That in cocktails, whether it’s fruit juices, fruit purées, things like sangria or infusions, are all going to remain really big because, again, it comes back to this notion of celebration, which is always a big part of summer every year. But it’s going to be tenfold this year. I think that so many people have a lot of stuff. They bought a lot of booze over the pandemic and might not know exactly what to do with it. Things like punch become like the natural outlet for that. That’s basically why it was invented. We’ll dump a bunch of shit in a bowl, add some fruit, and it’s good. I agree, most of the time it is. It’s hard to screw up punch. You can do it, but you’ve got to try. My wife and I have been joking for years about this because we’ve got a punch bowl as a wedding present, which is one of those things that you only ever get as a wedding present. I think we would never go out and buy one ourselves. We keep saying this will be the year, but we actually made plans to have people over to have punch in June. This will actually be the year that punch bowl will get used.

A: Nice. I keep thinking if there is going to be any indie stuff that’s going to be happening. But again, I think there’ll be a lot of Champagne drunk this summer. I agree with you, Joanna. There’s going to be a little bit of people looking for alternatives to the spritz while still wanting the spritz. I think we’ll see the Daiquiri continuing to be popular. The Margarita as well. But I’m pretty bullish that the biggest drink will be the Cosmo.

Z: There you go. That and everything lemonade-flavored, right?

A: Oh, yeah. That’s another given. It’s just going to be more and more lemonade. More lemonade than you can handle. There’ll be some more fruit punch stuff because now you’re seeing that coming out from some of the seltzer producers like Truly.

Z: More ‘90s nostalgia. Fruit punch. Oh my goodness.

A: Again, it all comes in waves.

Z: Is Hi-C going to make an RTD?

A: Dude, maybe. They always say culture in the United States is either influenced by the West Coast or the East Coast. Right now, it really does feel like we’re still in a West Coast moment. I believe the East Coast is going to push back pretty soon, and then maybe we’ll go back to again, the dimly lit cocktail bars and the Old Fashioneds and the Manhattans, which could be any month now, but not yet. Oh, and this goes without saying: tequila. Come on. Lots of tequila. Well, this has been great. Joanna, I know you’re off next week because you’re on vacation. I know that we’re a little annoying, but to already have to take a break after only two episodes?

Z: Well, you have to come back and tell us exactly what you drank on vacation.

J: I’m going to keep a list.

A: And Zach, I’ll see you next week.

Z: Sounds great.

Thanks so much for listening to the “VinePair Podcast.” If you love this show as much as we love making it, then please leave us a rating or review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever it is you get your podcasts. It really helps everyone else discover the show.

Now for the credits. VinePair is produced and recorded in New York City and in Seattle, Wash., by myself and Zach Geballe, who does all the editing and loves to get the credit. Also, I would love to give a special shout-out to my VinePair co-founder, Josh Malin, for helping make all this possible and also to Keith Beavers, VinePair’s tastings director, who is additionally a producer on the show. I also want to, of course, thank every other member of the VinePair team who are instrumental in all of the ideas that go into making the show every week. Thanks so much for listening and we’ll see you again.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article VinePair Podcast: Which Drinks Will Dominate Summer 2021 appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/drinks-summer-2021-podcast/

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johnboothus · 3 years

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VinePair Podcast: Which Drinks Will Dominate Summer 2021

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Adam Teeter: From VinePair’s New York City headquarters, I’m Adam Teeter.

Joanna Scarrino: And I’m Joanna Scarrino.

Zach Geballe: And in Seattle, Washington, I’m Zach Geballe.

A: And this is the “VinePair Podcast.” And Zach, now you’re back to being the only one who’s working from home.

Z: As it always has been.

J: Just keeping on, you know?

A: What else? What have you consumed that is in liquid form since last week?

A: Look at you. You’re totally on trend.

Z: Not to spoil our topic, but is that a big trend right now?

J: We didn’t really use a recipe. We eyeballed it, so it was some Cynar, Prosecco, club soda, and Castelvetrano olives.

Z: Oh, olives? Interesting.

J: It’s a nice switch up from the Aperol Spritz.

A: Totally. That sounds really delicious. Zach, I think I told the story before about an olive and a spritz that resulted in Naomi never wanting to ever drink spritz ever again. Correct?

Z: Oh, my goodness. I don’t know the story. It sounds tragic, though.

Z: You see all kinds of weird shit with olives in Spain. It’s true.

A: Joanna, I mean not to be a creeper, but I also saw on Instagram that you seemed to have gone to a really nice restaurant recently and had some delicious cocktails as well, correct?

A: Wow, that’s awesome.

J: Yeah, I’m not a huge gin person, but I know Tim really loves the Nikka gin.

A: Yeah, Nikka is delicious.

J: Give it a try. It was really great.

A: That’s awesome. What about you, Zach?

A: Congrats.

J: Congrats!

A: Thanks for asking. I was waiting. First of all, we had a staff party on Friday of last week, which was pretty awesome.

Z: I saw you sabering a bottle with an Amex.

Z: I mean, it worked. That’s awesome. That’s all that matters.

A: Yeah, it was cool to know that you could do it. I was like, really? A credit card will actually saber a bottle of sparkling wine? And it did, so that was cool.

J: It was for the people.

Z: Txakolina rosé?

A: No, the specific producer Ameztoi. They’re on our list.

Z: I don’t recognize the label on the top of my head, so let’s go look at the top 25 list you’ve been talking about, and I will let you know if I’ve seen it.

J: Well, it evolved out of the bone luge.

Z: With different slices of pizza or the same one?

Z: Somehow that video didn’t make it to Instagram.

A: No, I refused to allow anyone to have their phones out. I would not do it again because I don’t see the point. But now, I can at least say that I have done it.

A: Cool. Let’s move on to the conversation we get to have every year but is always fun, which is: What do we think the biggest drinks of the summer are going to be?

Z: Cynar pizza Luge?

A: No. So you’re hearing this after Memorial Day. It’s always a really fun thing to reflect on. And since Joanna’s the newb, I think we should start with her.

Z: Whoa, that sounds like an adventure.

Z: Can you explain to me Joanna, because I read the article, but it was a couple of weeks ago now. What exactly is a hard seltzer smoothie? How does that make sense? Are they blended, or what?

J: I’m seeing it on a lot of menus now.

J: It’s just cranberry juice.

J: Aren’t there a lot of really badly made Cosmos, though?

J: Speaking of pink drinks, what do we think about the color-changing spirits? They are everywhere now. Empress Gin. I’ve seen a lot of these color-changing gins.

A: Yeah, they’re not. Anything else? Do you guys have any other drinks? Any sleeper hits?

Z: There you go. That and everything lemonade-flavored, right?

Z: More ‘90s nostalgia. Fruit punch. Oh my goodness.

A: Again, it all comes in waves.

Z: Is Hi-C going to make an RTD?

Z: Well, you have to come back and tell us exactly what you drank on vacation.

J: I’m going to keep a list.

A: And Zach, I’ll see you next week.

Z: Sounds great.

Now for the credits. VinePair is produced and recorded in New York City and in Seattle, Wash., by myself and Zach Geballe, who does all the editing and loves to get the credit. Also, I would love to give a special shout-out to my VinePair co-founder, Josh Malin, for helping make all this possible and also to Keith Beavers, VinePair’s tastings director, who is additionally a producer on the show. I also want to, of course, thank every other member of the VinePair team who are instrumental in all of the ideas that go into making the show every week. Thanks so much for listening and we’ll see you again.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article VinePair Podcast: Which Drinks Will Dominate Summer 2021 appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/drinks-summer-2021-podcast/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/vinepair-podcast-which-drinks-will-dominate-summer-2021

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