I trust that you are as excited about the arrival of spring as I am. That’s right, March 20th will mark the spring equinox, and we are already seeing signs of life emerging from the winter ground in Newport. For me, the start of spring is also marked by my winery work—it is time to get the white and rosé into the bottle, so that we can enjoy it with our spring meals (thoughts of prosciutto and peas over a pile of fusilli!). All of this language still feel so exciting to put down on “paper.” I have to pinch myself to make sure I am not dreaming. Jumping on a plane to fly to California, where the sunshine is abundant and the buds are about to break seems like a dream come true. How did this wine lady get so lucky???

Admittedly, bottling is the least fun part of the process. In part, because I can’t really get my hands in it, but also because it is a bit nerve racking. It is when things can go wrong, from something as simple as spillage (I have watched with great dismay as gallons of wine spill out of the tank onto the floor of the winery because the hose was not attached properly) to more serious problems of contamination. The truth is, I don’t do a lot during the bottling, just watch with bated breath and crossed fingers. That said, I was excited to taste the 2018 Viognier and Rosé of Pinot Noir, and to check in on my Grenache.

Tipsy Rose 2018 Rosé is 100% Pinot Noir from Stanly Ranch. The is a switch from my two precious vintages, but I just did not have enough Grenache to make any rosé. Lucky for me, Nicole was kind enough to share some Pinot. I have said this before, but it is a reminder that wine making is 50% intention and 50% “this is what the harvest hands you, so get ‘er done.” In the end, I am pleased. The color is inviting, soft with a touch of salmon to the pink, and the fruit is easy and full of berry with a fresh clean finish. Yes, it is dry, but has good fruit. I love rosé made from pinot, it has great texture and tannins, with soft ripe fruit. Good for sipping on a Spring day with that pasta mentioned above, or an omelet with goat cheese and a lofty pile of lettuce in a light vinaigrette…and French fries, of course.

2018 Tipsy Rose Viognier

A weighty white with abundant peach and tangerine on the nose, rich stone fruit on the palate and bright acidity on the finish.

only 12 cases bottled

The 2018 Viognier is consistent with last year’s vintage. I owe it all to the beautiful fruit that we get. It is true that all the work is done in the vineyard. The wine has great front fruit, full-bodied and tons of aromatics of tangerine and peach, and on the palate it is rich, but has great acidity, so leaves my mouth watering and thinking about lemon sea salt shortbread and some camembert.

2018 Tipsy Rose Grenache is blended and racked, and is tasting great…watch for her in the shop this fall!

“But as a culinary student, as a young cook, I came up in an old school system that abhorred waste as a fundamental principle. Meaning the whole enterprise was based on the idea of use everything. So along with picking up a knife for the first time and learning how to use it, how to scramble an egg, to do all of those basic things, that principle was pounded deep into my tissue. Use everything. Waste nothing.”

— Bourdain, Wasted

If you have not seen it, watch it. If you have, watch it again and make a commitment to make a change. Wasted—The Story of Food Waste will open your eyes not only to the problem of wasted food in our homes, in our communities, in our country and beyond, but it also inspires you to act on a local level to make global impact.

I am not surprised to see Bourdain ranting about the systemic problem of wasted food—I love him for his vocal commitment to increase responsibility and accountability, but what the movie does is weave together the stories at every level of the food chain to remind us that we can enjoy and indulge responsibly. It is a compelling movie with an important message.

My change? I bought a small compost bucket for my counter. I don’t have a compost or a garden, so once a week, I will take my bucket of garbage and add it to my friend, Saskia’s, compost pile where it will become dirt that she will plant herbs and tomatoes in this summer. From those simple plants, we can make a meal for our friends and her boys, and that caprese is going to taste so good!

I bought the bucket online for $15, and it is a little thing, but it feels good to make a change. I add egg shells, coffee grinds, vegetable waste to the bucket instead of my trash can. The movie will show you how this little change makes a difference. Check out the movie and let me know what you think. I will collect everyone’s ideas for change and do another post next month with suggestions that you all have shared. Thanks for thinking about what we eat and drink!