Our nation is still struggling and all of us behind wine down and chill are trying to help you through it by doing our part. It’s summer, and it’s a weekend, so get out there and rosé all day if you like!
Theme: Berry Nice
Why are we tickled pink this week at wine down and chill? Because we had the opportunity to talk to Kate Edgecombe, who’s not only a certified sommelier and co-founder of the Strawberry Wine Company (with Thomas Booth), but she’s also the youngest female wine director in San Diego. Speaking of berry nice, did you know that you can now have hotel robots do touchless delivery of your wine?
Listen: Strawberry Summer
This week’s wine down and chill music pairing is spot-on for our theme on a couple of levels. One, Trevor Donovan is a country artist and it was a country music festival that inspired the founders to start their winery (more on that later). Two, his song, “Strawberry Summer,” nails the theme. Listen to it here or listen to a short playlist of ten songs here which feature Frank Ocean, Owl City and more.
But you’ve got to take the theme all the back to 1996 with Deana Carter and her country hit, “Strawberry Wine,” which is the inspiration behind the wine label. Kate was at a country music festival and was struck by how many musicians were signing about wine, only to find herself disappointed by the “sad” and limited wine selection offered in the concession stands. That night, she decided that she was going to open a winery to change all that and the reaction has been very positive combining country music, rosé and San Diego. Kate described this reaction, “I’m blown away by the community of people I have found that share very similar passions.”
Learn: Petit Verdot
Petit Verdot is a dark-skinned red wine grape commonly found in Bordeaux wines. It’s tendency to be a “late-ripener” was not a quality that enamored it to French winemakers, so it fell out of favor. However, it is experiencing a bit of a renaissance in California. Grit Daily was curious about a few other things so we asked Kate a few questions.
Grit Daily: How can someone startup as a winery and create a small batch rosé as an artisan craft wine?
Kate Edgecombe: I have a “regular” job in the wine industry as a Wine Director for a restaurant and wine bar. In this role I make connections with winemakers from all over the world. So, the birthplace of SWC was (almost) as simple as me calling my dear friend and partner Thomas Booth of the Wine Boss in Paso Robles the morning after the concert. My first question for Thomas was, ‘Am I crazy?’ and then I asked, ‘Is this possible?’ His reply was, “Let’s get started!” Here we are and I couldn’t be happier. That’s an oversimplification, of course, but essentially how it happened.
GD: What do you wish people knew about SWC?
KE: That it’s NOT made from strawberries! It is 100% Petit Verdot grapes grown in Clarksburg, CA sustainably farmed and sourced from the farmers of the Lodi Rules collective.
GD: Grit Daily is all about supporting women in business, tell us about SWC’s focus on empowering women entrepreneurs?
KE: Thank you, I personally feel the same way. In both my personal life and in my professional life, I tend to gravitate towards supporting and helping any female entrepreneurs that I can. Stay turned for a couple collaboration projects I have coming up with some other really bad ass women entrepreneurs!
GD: Anything else that you’d like to add?
KE: I hope that everyone stays happy and healthy and has a constant supply of rosé flowing!
Wine: Strawberry Wine Company Rosé
This slightly off-dry rosé with berry, banana and light floral notes made by the Strawberry Wine Company is getting some traction. It’s the winery’s first and only vintage to date. And no, it’s not made with strawberries but yes, you can make wine from strawberries, even at home as a DIY project.
Priced at $30/bottle, you can get 15% off here with the coupon code WINEDOWN.
Kate took a creative approach to the label. It’s inked directly on the glass for a clean, minimalist look. But here’s the part that I thought really stood out on the label – they have printed a half-dozen tasting notes and associated each bullet-list item with an icon. Easy peasy!
Dine: Strawberry Spinach Salad
If you’re not into alliteration, no worries. But you will love the strawberry spinach salad. It’s fast, fresh and pairs perfectly with today’s wine down and chill rosé. Combine spinach and chopped fresh strawberries with goat cheese plus candied pecans. Drizzle with a triple berry salad dressing. Delish!
Watch: The Strawberry Statement
What’s old is new again and this 1970 drama is suddenly as fresh as the berries pulled from the vine. The Strawberry Statement chronicles a college boy’s clever plot to meet girls. All that he has to do is join their protests and proclaim support for their cause. But the protests turn ugly and end in a violent confrontation with the police. Sound familiar…?
If you’re looking for a family-appropriate happy and stress-free option to wine down and chill, this Hallmark movie, Strawberry Summer is the perfect fit. You have a Strawberry Festival, festival queen and bad boy musician playing out an ending that is predictable – and as sweet as the berries that he sings about.
FYI, last week’s “Green Room” movie pick was not a fan favorite despite the came by Sir Patrick Stewart. Got it! 😉
Other Bits
If this week’s theme didn’t float your boat or fill up your glass to wine down and chill, no worries. We’ll continue to offer affordable suggestions for music, wine, dinner and movies with a different wine down and chill theme each week. You can also follow me on Instagram for wine art and photography @WineDownAndChill. We’re here to help you sit back, wine down and chill. If you missed an article, fret not! You can find every article here.
If you like podcasts, well, wouldn’t you know, we’ve got those, too! Three of them, in fact: 1) Like a Boss with snappy insights; 2) wine down and chill; and 3) Monday motivation. All three are available on all streaming channels including Apple, iHeart Radio, Spotify and more. Tune in!
It’s the weekend. Time to wine down and chill. Cheers to seeing everything with rose colored glasses!
Photos supplied by K. Edgecombe and Ylanite Koppens from Pexels.
