By Amelia Winkelman and Mirandah Davis-Powell
As Eugene Weekly’s most dedicated lovers of the color pink, us two reporting interns, Mirandah and Amelia, knew what we had to drink for this year’s Cap and Cork issue: pink wine.
Our goal was to find affordable, locally made rosés with cute (ideally pink) bottles or labels. Unfortunately, it turned out to be more difficult than we expected. Willamette Valley rosés are more expensive than generic rosés, like Franzia Sunset Blush, and cute things cost more than ugly ones.
Still, we were able to buy four bottles of Oregon-made rosé for $54, three of which had at least a hint of pink on the label.
The first rosé we tried was A to Z Oregon Rosé Wine, a 2021 wine produced and bottled in Newberg, Oregon. It comes in a slender glass bottle with an adorable (cheugy) pink flower and butterfly print. The first thing we noticed about A to Z is its peculiar smell, similar to that of a dry, fruity cider. Its sweet and pungent red berry and citrus flavors left artificial aftertastes in our mouths.
This was the most expensive rosé we tried: $14.99 on sale at Safeway and $21.99 at full price. Its bottle best suits the cutesy pink theme we were looking for, but we both rate its flavor a 4 out of 10. Maybe they’re charging that much for the bottle design?
Next, we sip Deové’s 2022 Pinot Noir Rosé, produced and bottled in Eugene. Its sleek and modern label features a dove outlined by a splash of pink-dominant, streaky colors. We find its flavor gentler than A to Z. It has notes of grapefruit without bitterness, melon up front and tart cherry at the end. We both enjoyed its light and tart flavors.
Mirandah gives Deové an 8 out of 10. Amelia gives it a 7 out of 10. It goes down easily and will get you drunk, so for $13.50 at Bo’s Wine Depot, it’s worth a try.
Third up is a 2023 Stanton Vinyards Rosé, also a pinot noir produced and bottled in Eugene. Mirandah says this one has a strange odor but “good legs.” We both found it to have a sour and bitter aftertaste. There’s an itty bitty hint of orange and possibly the presence of redcurrant, but nothing about Stanton’s flavor was particularly exciting or outstanding — though we do appreciate the incorporation of a pink font on its label.
We both rate Stanton Rosé a 5 out of 10. It might taste better with some melting ice in our drinking glasses, but at $13.99 at Bo’s Wine Depot, it’s not our first choice.
Our final rosé is a 2022 Wine by Joe Rosé of Pinot Noir, produced and bottled in Dundee, Oregon. Its label is black with white font, red accents and an unfortunate lack of pink. The rosé itself has a pleasantly light flavor, similar to the Deové. With notes of grapefruit and crabapple, it’s tart, but not bitter.
Mirandah rates Joe a 7 out of 10. Amelia rates it an 8 out of 10, making Joe worth its $12.99 sale price at Safeway. We would even consider repurchasing it at full price for $18.99. Joe is an excellent option for people who don’t like sweet rosé and are looking for something refreshing.
We rank the four Willamette Valley rosés similarly, but Mirandah prefers Deové and Amelia prefers Joe. For both of us, Stanton and A to Z are third and fourth, respectively.
Mirandah says: Hate to say, but I’m not a fan of the pungent aftertastes and funky smells that accompanied some of our picks. I liked Joe and Deové for carrying me gently into the Rosé world and being nice about it. Maybe once my palette develops more, I’ll have the guts to try a funky rosé again.
Amelia says: I’m at least 20 years and 360 degrees of tastebud changes away from being a wine connoisseur, so take my opinions with a fine grain of salt. Funky smells and pungent aftertastes are not my jam, either, which rules out Stanton’s and A to Z’s rosés. Joe and Deové were easy to drink, didn’t make me feel like gagging and overall, I would drink them again.
Heads up, there are sulfites in all of the rosés we tried, so headache-prone wine fans, drink with caution.
Truthfully, we were most disappointed by the rosés’ presentation. The lack of affordable and cutesy bottles of local rosé is unacceptable (thank you, pink tax). It depends on the lighting, but all four rosés lean more orange-colored than pink. While that may just be the nature of rosés, once you see them as orange, they’ll never look pink again.
For people who adore pink, nothing beats the feeling of seeing pink on ordinary items. So, we call on Oregon’s winemakers to right this rosé wrongdoing, and give pink lovers the opportunity to feel happiness in our hearts before we even start drinking. Bo’s Wine Depot is at 360 East 40th Avenue and 245 Van Buren Street in the Whit. Find more info at BosDepot.com. Safeway wines were purchased at 350 East 40th Avenue.