Amalie Robert Estate Culinary Inclinations: Rosé

Hello and Welcome,  

This is an Amalie Robert Estate Culinary Inclinations: Rosé. A FLOG Communication (Farming bLOG) from Dena & Ernie @AmalieRobertEstate. Oregon Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. 

We are introducing our Culinary Inclinations Series with one of the most versatile wine categories of all time - Rosé. We took a stroll back though our past releases to share our culinary inclinations. As our national pandemic rolls on, the time spent in our own kitchen increases and we thought a little culinary voyeurism might be a welcome thing.

Sadly, we mark this first communication with the passing of Sir Thomas Sean Connery. Our favorite 007 James Bond departed on a rare October Blue Moon, All-Hallows Eve 2020. Diamonds are forever and timeless style never goes out of fashion.

 
Speaking of style, how did this iconic 6’2” Scotsman manage to fit into the most iconic of sports cars, the Aston Martin DB5? The steering wheel may be on the wrong side, but the Champagne was always chilled. We imagine it was a fine vintage Rosé.  

 
Consider this, there is no Rosé variety. Virtually any wine berry with a hued skin can be coaxed into a Rosé wine. Stylistically these wines can be fermented dry or left with a little sweetness, fermented in stainless steel, concrete or oak barrels. Not unlike our former selves running loose in the candy store, you just want to try them all! Rosé is the “right up until” wine in the kitchen at Amalie Robert Estate. A glass of Rosé is just right as we transition from winegrower or winemaker to culinary genius. Offering more than an elegant white wine, but not overly so, Rosé can offer the right balance right up until it is time for the main course. Or with a little pre-planning the main course is ideally paired with Rosé. 

Pinot in Pink is our Rosé of Pinot Noir fermented in stainless steel after limited juice exposure to the skins. The result is a light bodied and refreshing wine with purity of fruit, a rich mid-palate due to neutral oak aging and a lingering finish. After all, this is Pinot Noir! Pinot in Pink Pinot Noir Rosé is about as alluring as a wine can be. It answers the question “Who are you?” with the most welcoming of responses, “Who would you like me to be?” Equally at ease in public for a carefree rendezvous at a local café, or a more private setting on the back patio as the sun eases below the ridgeline. A charcuterie board? I thought you would never ask! Break out from the daily routine. Finished with the work routine and need a little inspiration transitioning into your culinary genius role for the evening meal? Pinot in Pink is there for you. And if it is a nice fillet of Pacific Northwest salmon or Norwegian steelhead that has captured your fancy, well then, a quick stemware change is all that is needed to go from casual to elegant. From pretty in pink to strawberry blonde in the blink of an eye, providing the collars and cuffs match. What’s it to be tonight? Culinary Inclinations from Amalie Robert Estate: Rosé. Here is a look at our culinary inclinations hoping to pique your culinary curiosity. Pinot in Pink is about that special place that takes you back to simpler times. Tangy cheeses, cured meats and crusty bread from the hamper set out on a grassy bank complement a burbling stream and the wispy clouds ever changing upon an eternal blue canvas. This is your chance to be released from the daily burden of reality, if only for a short time. Picnic pack this – Goat cheese brie, golden raspberries and rosemary garlic baguette. Poached white king salmon topped with black sesame seeds and dusted with smoked paprika. Grilled vegetables and pickled Cipollini onions accompanied by balsamic vinaigrette dipping jus. Don’t forget the corkscrew… The picnic hamper essentials of fresh apples, Gruyere cheese and crusty bread can be augmented with a charcuterie board of cured meats, pâtés, and terrines with a few red cents’ worth of caramelized sweet onion jam. For the white linen picnic gathering bring Copper River smoked salmon palmiers and grilled vegetables drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Once you move past the obligatory cured meats and fragrant cheeses with fresh strawberries and Asian pear, check out the smoked duck breast salad with crumbled goat cheese and dried cranberries. Smoked black cod with mild blue cheese and tangerine segments is a fine substitution. And yes, it is 5:00 somewhere. It’s 5:00 right farmin’ now! Simply think of that special place and put yourself in the picture with your toes in the sand. This wine’s potential is only limited by the breadth and depth of your imagination. But recall the wise words of Alexander Pope from 1711, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” And that is why, we have virtual reality. Bring on the cheese board adorned with cow, goat and sheep’s milk cheeses, set aside a spot for some pâtés, Parma ham and pistachios. So many to try and imagine all the possible combinations! If you have some time on your hands and the opportunity to impress, try your hand at a summer paella featuring rabbit, andouille sausage, and fresh mussels. But be careful, they will be back… Chairman of the Nosh Board. Imagine a painter’s palette and substitute the brilliant colors with your favorite nibbles. Brilliant red peppadew peppers, duck prosciutto, tangy jalapeño red onion jam, triple cream bleu cheese, garlic confit in duck fat, rosemary olive oil crostini, smoked golden trout, olive oil and salt grilled summer squash, 12-month Manchego cheese and the ever abundant olive bowl filled with jewels from all over the world – pitted or not, but don’t comingle. If there were ever to be a definitive paella wine, it would have to be Rosé. And from the great Pacific Northwest, it most certainly would showcase the charms and elegance of Pinot Noir. Surely the traditional paella preparation must be respected, however adding in local, fresh ingredients makes it your own. Our secret substitutions are duck stock and pecorino cheese (Manchego also works well, quite well). A year-round dish that celebrates food, friends, and Rosé. Note: No one has ever said, “Wow, you made too much!” 

And we saved the most intriguing wine for last, the 2018 Bellpine Pearl Blanc de Noir. Made from nearly equal parts of whole cluster pressed wings of Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, “The Pearl” is a still white wine from these noble red varieties. While the color of Rosé wines is of personal preference, so are the seemingly endless nosh possibilities. We like smoked duck breast and Manchego cheese with fresh ripe raspberries and tart apple alongside a sourdough baguette. A freshly snipped rose completes the ensemble – but of what color? White King Salmon sashimi, spot prawn sushi with roe or seared ahi tuna in sesame oil provide Blanc de Noir contrasts commensurate with the wine’s hidden charms. An aperitif wine served with oysters on the half, caviar and the standard accoutrements, or smoked black cod accompanied by julienned sundried tomatoes, basil pesto, 6-month Manchego and herbed goat cheese crisps. As November leads to December we will close out 2020 and may face the specter of a contested election. From Russia with love...
Kindest Regards,
Dena & Ernie