The previous vintage of today’s Olivia Brion 2017 Mendocino Vin Gris (Rosé) of Syrah was our most popular Rosé of all time. We’re thrilled to have their newest wine, which is a true delight. This wine is fresh, refreshing, and uber-delicious.

This wine is simply stunning in the glass with jewel-like clarity and bright, warm, pink, and orange hues like a sunrise lighting up the sky. The nose is aromatic and fresh, bursting with juicy berry notes of strawberry and raspberry, floral notes of elderflower, and stone fruit notes of white and yellow peaches. The berry notes are even more vibrant on the palate with strawberry and raspberry right off the vine. The peach and nectarine are joined by orange blossom and toasted coconut. Yum! The mouthfeel is sumptuous and pitch-perfect, delivering bright fruit flavor and acidity while still retaining a pleasing dryness. Bravo! It really captures the essence of its Provencal inspiration. This would be delightful with a watermelon salad topped with fresh mint and feta, brightened by simple syrup and lemon juice.

A Vin Gris is a blush or Rosé wine that is made from the red wine grape, Syrah, in the white winemaking practice. Rather than fermenting the grapes with their skins, which extracts color from the skins, a Vin Gris is made from the pressed juice, which is mostly clear but with a really lovely pink tinge.

The Olivia Brion winery is one of our most popular winery partners. We’ve enjoyed the wines of winery owner and winemaker, David Mahaffey for more than 8 years now. David’s Olivia Brion and Palladian wines are always distinctive for their incredible refinement, elegance, and attention to detail.

David handed the reins for Olivia Brion over to winemaker, Kira Ballotta, who started her winemaking journey as a harvest intern for The Prisoner Wine Company. Her passions for winemaking ignited, and Kira went on to learn all aspects of wine production while holding positions at Quintessa Winery, Mollydooker, Napa Wine Company and finally Alpha Omega.

She went on to find success with her own wine projects and recently partnered with David Mahaffey to take over the Olivia Brion label. Her first project - today’s fresh, delicious, Rosé could not have turned out better. Today’s wine fits beautifully with the spirit of the Olivia Brion line of wines. As does the winemaker herself.

We’re crazy about today’s wine and we can’t wait to see what greatness springs forth from this new collaboration between Mahaffey and Ballotta. Whatever they produce, we’ll be here to admire - and imbibe - their hard work.