Wine of the Week: 2009 Parador Tempranillo Rose

2009 Parador Tempranillo Rosé

Tempranillo, the grape that goes most famously into Riojas, isn’t very common in California wine country. But Steve Ventrello of Parador winery has created a terrific California rosé made with the Spanish grape. The Napa Valley vineyard was planted in 1999 with cuttings originating from Rioja and the Ribera del Duero.

Ventrello makes it the old-world way — by the saignée method in which the free-run juice is “bled” from the crusher after only a few minutes of skin contact to give it that ravishing pink color. Parador’s 2009 is a vibrant, structured rosé and drier than its Spanish counterparts. The production is small, just three used French oak barrels, which makes 73 cases.

A good summer basic, it comes in at a good price too. It’s great with grilled foods, salads, and antipasti and will even work with egg dishes, such as omelets or frittatas.

— S. Irene Virbila

Region: Napa Valley

Price: About $18

Style: Dry and structured

What it goes with: grilled foods, omelets and frittatas, salads

Where to find it: Elvino Wines in Venice (310) 396-9705, https://www.elvinowines.com; Silverlake Wine in Los Angeles (323) 662-9024, https://www.silverlakewine.com; and Wine Exchange in Orange (714) 974-1454, https://www.winex.com