Our Newest Varietal- Introducing Rosé

Telaya is proud to announce the official release of our first rosé! A lot of thought, creativity, and heart went into making this particular rosé. Here’s a behind-the-scenes peek into how we developed it and what makes it special.

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Carrie was the primary winemaker for this wine, spearheading its planning and execution. She opted for 100% Bitner Vineyard’s Syrah in sourcing its fruit. Syrah’s wide range in aromas and flavors, as well as its robust color, allows for methodology to bring out desired strengths and dimensions. Carrie knew from the start that she wanted to develop rich color, which helped guide her technique. To increase the contact time of the juice with the grape skins, she cold soaked the grapes overnight before pressing them. This is a little different from traditional pressing for a rosé, which typically occurs shortly after destemming and crushing. The extended time the juice shared with the skins resulted in a bright watermelon hue.

Rosé wines generally lean towards either dry or off-dry flavor. In true Telaya form, Carrie wanted to produce a dry rosé that would pair well with sweet foods, as opposed to producing a sweet rosé. While this rosé pushed the boundaries a little in its formulation, it definitely hearkens to traditional, Old World rosés in its core flavor. Additionally, the finished product offers a tartness that can be pleasantly balanced with chocolate-covered strawberries or cherries (and just in time for Valentine’s Day!).

The timing of our first rosé is no coincidence. It is truly a manifestation of one of our goals in moving into our own space with our own equipment: the ability to bring about a markedly new wine into conversation with what Idaho and the Northwest has already seen. We are excited that our first rosé bridges experimentation with long established characteristics in winemaking. ​

Take a look at these videos on harvesting and bottling our first rosé.

We have a limited number of cases of rosé and are releasing it to our wonderful wine club members first. Any remaining bottles will be available for purchase in the tasting room.