Filled with charming fruit, with layers of berrylike flavors, good acids and a bracing, coffee-ground finish. This has been a longtime favorite, and is often available for less than $20.

Typically shows zippy raspberry and cherry fruit, up front and in your face. Seasoned with cinnamon from the nearly half new French oak, and sporting a velvety texture, Holloway says the idea is to preserve the fruit. as much as possible and achieve a mouth-filling opulence.

Berry and cherry fruit, smoky touch.

Completely different again, if not downright untypical. It shows a spearmint core character, along with apple, lemon zest, unripe peach and stone fruit flavors as well as dried apricot. Aged in 100 percent new Francois Frere oak, it shows a big, rich, well-rounded mouthfeel and palpable acidity, which makes it perfect for food.

More Californian in style, sort of a Katherine's taken to the next level. The nose and palate reveal a tropical fruit essence, like it had been boiled down and concentrated, with some apple and pear too. Viscous and creamy, it also shows roasted nuts, vanilla, wood spice, and baked apple nuances in the background and a lingering finish. Both this wine and the 2000 Bench Break spent more time in 100 percent new French oak than the Katherine's, which utilized one third new French oak.

Packed with mineral, black cherry, and lots of spice.

From a specific vineyard parcel, is completely different. With the grapes coming from shallower soils, the nose shows minerality and slate, while the smoky flavors include butterscotch, lemon zest and marshmallow toast. It has a certain Burgundian leanness to it, and while the wine is rich, it's streamlined and very focused.

Lush, vibrant tropical fruit flavours along with vanilla and pear.

It epitomizes the house style, with a pineapple and tropical fruit nose, as well as lush and buttery fruit forward flavors on the palate, tempered with both oak and ginger spice. The goal, explains Holloway, 'is to integrate all the components and flavors.'

Smoky, complex aromas of sage, juniper and eucalyptus. Sweet cherry flavors with an undercurrent of black pepper.

highly recommended wine, Soft, undeveloped ripe strawberry fruit. Well structured and polished wine.

Elegant, light, perfumed nose with good alcohol. Soft, undeveloped ripe strawberry fruit. Well structured and polished wine.

recommended wine

Fresh respberry nose which is straightforward, not too oaky with a hint of violets. Fresh, clean, not complex, yet pretty, well-made wine.

recommended wine

Tight, youthful, raspberry and blackberry fruit. Good quality feel. Ripe jammy fruit, firm tannins, very youthful, undeveloped violet fruit. Good potential and structure.

Big & juicy with berry & a hint of black pepper. Needs time for the generous oak to integrate.

WINE WITH…Tuna Confit (Oil-Poached Fresh Tuna) Tuna tastes rich and meaty, consequently calling for a substantial wine, while the fruity salad in this dish is light and lively, so better with a bright, refreshing one. What to do? Our tastings suggest that you try to thread the needle, with light-bodied reds and heartier whites. Fresh rosés will also be a good choice, especially this time of year. Dry rather than sweet, this wine’s fresh fruit flavors echoed the kumquat and blood orange’s own juicy fruitiness.

Pink wines continue to grow in popularity From California, I found several (in order of my preference, but all are recommended) from various appellations... • Santa Maria Valley: Cambria Julia’s Vineyard ($25) spicy, tangy.

Try These 20 Great Rosés From France and the West Coast From pinot noir grapes grown in the Santa Maria Valley, this broadly flavored rosé has bright notes of strawberries and grapefruit.

10 Best Wedding-Day Rosés, According to Sommeliers This is a very special wine for Cambria’s winemaker Jill Russell—it’s her very first wine released in the marketplace as the winemaker for this storied Santa Maria Valley winery. She loves to say this rosé was made with intent, started during the growing season by identifying two blocks of Pinot Noir that she felt could produce the style of rosé she enjoys drinking. To achieve this, she left a heavier crop than what was done for their Pinot Noir wines to create bright fruit flavors and structure. After blending, the wine was fined and filtered, which resulted in a balanced yet juicy rosé with a beautiful pale pink color. Expect to taste notes of strawberry, watermelon rind and grapefruit with a sip of this dry, yet crisp rosé with the perfect balance of acidity and texture.

Refreshing rosés for hot weather Here are my favorite Pinot Noir Rosés:...Barrymore Monterey County, plush and spicy; La Crema Monterey, soft, hints of cream and spice; Cambria Santa Maria Valley, juicy with cinnamon…

Christmas on the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail ... don't miss it! Their 2016 Rosé of Pinot Noir is an excellent dry, easy sipping wine.

…is a nice marriage of vanilla and cherry/berry fruit flavors. Medium bodied and well balanced, it's not lavish or overdone. The silky mouthfeel helps give it a fine sustained finish.

Bright cherry red with a youthful rim. Medium-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderately extracted. Moderately oaked. Mildly tannic. Raspberries, vanilla. Sweet, fleshy red-fruit aromas follow through on the palate, with vale sweetness and juicy acids making this very approachable.