Their 2017 Rosé was made from a combination of Grenache, Syrah, Mouvèdre, and Counoise from the Windmill vineyard in the Dunnigan Hills, Syrah grapes from the Hurley Vineyard in Napa Valley, and Grenache grapes from the Gibson Ranch in the McDowell Valley of Mendocino. Its citrusy aromas and clean flavors will complement the wonderful spring foods that show up on the table as the weather thaws (salads, rabbit, frittatas, peas, favas, green garlic…). Perfect for springtime holiday meals, or enjoying on the porch all summer. They whole-cluster pressed the grapes, settled in tank for 24 hours, then fermented and aged the wine sur lees in stainless steel barrels. To preserve the acidity they prevented malo-lactic fermentation. They kept the barrels shut tight, no topping or stirring, and the wine was never racked, fined, or cold-stabilized, but since it is ML negative it was filtered before bottling.

Winemaking, for Matthiasson, is a natural extension of farming. They have both worked for many years in the sustainable agriculture and local food movement, and in 2003 they started Matthiasson Wines based on those values. Their wines are classical expressions of different grape varieties, some well-known like Chardonnay and Cabernet sauvignon, and some rare like Ribolla gialla and Refosco. The wines are refreshing, complement food, and are moderate in alcohol.