Did someone say rosè?!
This week’s Wine of the Week spotlight is Pink Catawba! Pink Catawba is a blush-style wine made from the pink Native American Catawba grape, first found by the Catawba River in North Carolina.
The original rosé wine trend started in the early 19th century. Rosé wine lovers can thank Nicholas Longworth of Cincinnati, Ohio. He founded the first commercially successful winery using the Catawba grape to make sparkling rosé wine from the 1830s to 1850s.
We take pride in growing grapes suitable for our area, and Catawba fits the bill. It is a late ripening grape and does best in a long ripening season area like Missouri. This variety of grape has thick skin and a mild, fruity taste. Throughout the years, Catawba has been used to make various versions of wine such as sweet, dry, still and sparkling.
St. James Winery uses this grape to create this wine of the week. It’s a lovely rose color with a delightful balance of sweetness and tartness, like a ripe apple. Pink Catawba is a great sipping wine, and it’s also a lovely complement to fresh fruits, cheeses and light desserts. It is best served chilled and it hits the spot for a sweet after-dinner wine.
It is the perfect time of year for sangria and what better way to make it than with Pink Catawba? Try it in our Party Sangria recipe, which also includes the bubbly and flavorful Sparking Blush, which is featured during the Rosè All Day Wine Trail at the St. James Winery stop this Saturday and Sunday, June 9-10.
Grab a bottle of Pink Catawba to quench your rosè thirst!
