Four Friends and Two Bottles

Kathy Doner, Kate Fauci, Pam Romeo, and Carolyn Brown

On a lovely evening in early June, four friends (Kathy, Kate, Pam, and Carolyn) headed out to The Fish Friar in downtown Syracuse to taste some wine. The best part, no one is a wine expert, we just know what we like and are happy to share our novice opinion with you, our soon-to-be loyal readers. Since we like to stock up on our favorites, we developed a unique rating system: pass, glass, bottle, case; you can interpret it as 1, 2, 3, and 4 stars.

Looking forward to the warm weather ahead (especially Kate), we settled on rosé. As background, according to a Masterclass given by James Suckling, American Wine Critic and former European Bureau Chief of Wine Spectator, “[r]osé is a type of wine made from red wine grapes, produced in a similar manner to red wine, but with reduced time fermenting with grape skins. This reduced skin contact gives rosé a pink hue and lighter flavor than that of red wine. Rosé is produced around the world, as it can be made from any red wine grape cultivated in any wine-growing region.” The four of us associate rosé with summer, but many drink it all year long and it’s easy to see why.

Providing helpful direction, Andrea, at the Fish Friar, recommended we try Solis Lumen (Sud de France) and Aragosta (Alghero, Italy).

We enjoyed both wines.  

To be thorough, we’ll include the winemaker’s description at the end. But remember, they made the wine and want to sell the wine. You might like our non-biased reactions better.

Here is our initial attempt to describe and compare the flavors:

SOLIS LUMEN (SUD DE FRANCE)

Kathy: pale in color; crisp; floral; smooth; perfect for summer.

Kate: light taste; delicious; floral; harmonious.

Pam: crisp; light-bodied; dry; relaxing; summery.

Carolyn: dry; balanced; easy to drink; bright.

Winemaker: Explosive cranberry, strawberry, and watermelon fruit on the nose and palate with firm acidity and a dose of minerality. Silky richness in the mouth, with good complexity and extended length on the palate.

Rating: Buy a case of the Solis Lumen. Some of us already have!

ARAGOSTA (ALGHERO, ITALY)

Kathy: pale in color; burst of flavor with a smooth finish; medium-bodied.

Kate: dry; strong; touch of fruit.

Pam: sweeter; delicate; smooth; rounded.

Carolyn: stronger flavor; little bite; complex.

Winemaker: Bright and lively rose color, a fresh, distinct bouquet of just the right intensity and good finesse with a savory, lively but harmonious taste. Pleasantly fruity with a light berry background.

Rating: Buy a bottle of the Aragosta.

Cheers to all, from Kathy, Kate, Pam and Carolyn.

Carolyn Brown