Beginning with the 2010 vintage, we made the pioneering decision to bottle our acclaimed Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs using twist-off caps. To our knowledge, we were the first Sonoma Coast winery to put all of our wines under twist-offs. Back then, some experts estimated the failure rate of wine corks to be as high as 10% to 15%. While the quality of many cork products has improved over the past 12 years, whether the failure rate due to cork taint, oxidation, or other cork-related faults is 2%, 5%, or more, there is no other industry selling luxury products that would accept the product failure rates that the wine industry accepts with cork closures.

The data is global, extensive, and conclusive. Twist-off closures deliver a consistent wine in every bottle. They also preserve the quality, craftsmanship, and terroir of the wines. The one argument that traditional cork supporters suggest is that twist-offs are not ideal for aging. However, now that pioneering countries like Australia and New Zealand have decades of wine under twist-offs, there is compelling evidence that they may even do a better job of preserving a wine’s freshness, purity of fruit, and nuance over years of aging.

“Corked wines afflicted with the musty, moldy, wet-basement smell ruin up to 15% of all wine.”

Robert Parker, in Food & Wine, 2015

The final argument against twist-offs is that customers don’t embrace them—that they aren’t romantic and don’t impart a sense of luxury. We live in a time when there is more information about what we eat and drink than ever. Consumers seek out quality and authenticity, and in this pursuit, they are willing to learn what they don’t know—especially when it comes to wine. Just as we, as winemakers, share with our customers the character of specific wine regions and the distinctive charm of special vineyards, it’s also our job to educate others on how best to preserve the quality and integrity of the wines we produce. Here are four facts every wine-lover should know about twist-off caps:

1. Under twist-offs there is no chance for cork-related TCA – a scientific term that means a wine is ‘corked’ or that it tastes musty.
2. Twist-off enclosed wines have dramatically reduced oxidation – oxygen is most often the enemy, not the friend, of wine.
3. Under twist-offs there is little-to-no bottle variation, whereas corks may have different permeability thresholds – our wines under twist-offs taste uniformly consistent from one bottle to the next.
4. Twist-off closures are far more resistant to temperature change during shipping.

“Corks versus screw caps? Using corks is a marketing decision. Using screw caps is a winemaking decision and a quality decision. We choose quality.”

Steve MacRostie

Since the earliest days of civilization, wine has brought people together in joy and celebration. This is the magic of wine, and why it makes such a memorable and meaningful gift. For those who enjoy fine wine, there are few gifts more welcome. Whether it’s for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, a university graduation, a wedding, or a milestone anniversary, fine wine is a gift that will have your loved ones thinking fondly of you every time they open one of the bottles you’ve gifted.

When giving wine, it’s important to think about three things: the taste of the recipient, their experience with wine, and the significance of the event they are celebrating. This is where we come in.

Exploring fine wine and learning to appreciate its beauty is one of life’s great pleasures. Many of us still remember our first “Wow!” wine and how the experience led to a lifetime of discoveries. When gifting to newer wine drinkers, it’s important to remember that they are just beginning their journey with wine, and that journey should be a source of delight. Because they are easy to love, the classic varietals of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in our Explore Russian River Valley – AVA Duo are a wonderful and engaging place to start. Whether for a serious aficionado or a less-experienced wine drinker, our Celebrate & Sparkle – Sparkling Duo makes an unforgettable gift, while providing perfect wines for raising a toast.

For more experienced wine enthusiasts, our Night Flight – Nightwing Vineyard Duo showcases the beauty of single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from our acclaimed Nightwing Estate Vineyard.

Of course, the bigger the occasion, the more extravagant you may wish to be. To really make a statement while showing your gratitude and great taste, consider gifting a MacRostie Club Membership. Whether for a university graduation, a milestone birthday, or a special anniversary, a club membership will have them thinking of you each time a new box of wine arrives at their door. With three membership levels to choose from, we have the perfect club for every palate.

To make gifting easy and enjoyable, every gift set in our MacRostie Gift Shop includes ground shipping, a beautiful MacRostie logo gift box, a personalized gift note, and a gift certificate valued at $80 for an Estate House Signature tasting for two people! And of course, you can always go to our Online Wine Store, where you can curate your own personal gift sets.

A Rosé By Any Other Name

The history of rosé wines goes all the way back to ancient Greece, where many of the first recorded wines were made by crushing red and white grapes together and then watering down the resulting wine. In the sixth century, when the first grape vines from Greece were brought to what is now Southern France, rosés began to grow in popularity, offering a pleasant and vivacious alternative to red or white varietal wines. Later, when the Romans came to Provence, they began exporting the region’s rosés around the Mediterranean, where the wines were quickly embraced. Historically, rosé was often considered a vin de soif, or “wine to quench thirst,” and to some extent that is still true today, though the style of the finest rosés has changed dramatically.

A Change in Style: From Sweet to Dry

For many older generations of Americans, rosé meant White Zinfandel or perhaps Mateus or Lancers—sweet, pink wines made from inexpensive grapes. While this style was once hugely popular, by the late 1980s and early 1990s, rosé had earned a reputation as an unserious, mass-produced wine. This began to change in the 2000s. As more Americans began to be exposed to drier French rosés, they discovered how beautifully vibrant and refreshing they can be. Winemakers in the US took notice and were soon exploring drier, more complex, and graceful expressions of rosé, using new winemaking techniques, new methods, and new grape varietals.

The Grapes

While the ancient Greeks mixed red and white grapes together to make their blush wines, modern rosés are generally made exclusively from red grapes. While rosés can be made from almost any red grapes, many of the finest modern American rosés are made from the traditional Rhône grapes (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) or Pinot Noir. At MacRostie, Pinot Noir is our grape of choice when making rosé because it produces such a beautifully crisp and vibrant wine with enticing aromas and notions of graceful red fruit.

Saignée or Direct Press

The great majority of modern rosés are made using either the direct press or saignée methods. The direct press method means that the grapes are picked earlier at lower ripeness and lower Brix (sugar) levels. Once the grapes are pressed, the juice is quickly removed from the skins and seeds, yielding a wine with a light and delicate pink color. Because the grapes are picked earlier, they have very elegant aromas and flavors, with lovely acidity that adds structure and mouthfeel. In contrast, with the saignée method the grapes are allowed to ripen as they would for making a still Pinot Noir bottling. Once the grapes are pressed, some of the light-colored juice is drained off to be used for making rosé. Because these grapes were allowed to ripen more, they have higher Brix and more developed fruit flavors.

While most winemakers choose one method or the other, being the innovator that she is, our Winemaker, Heidi Bridenhagen uses both to build layers of flavor. “Rosé is a fun, yet challenging, wine to make,” she says. “Achieving the right color is all about timing and vineyard choice. Color is the first lure of this wine, and it is crucial to have it just right. To give the wine fruit aromatics, a round mid-palate, fresh acidity, and a poignant finish, 45% of the fruit went directly to press with the other 55% produced using the saignée method. Heidi also allowed a range of skin contact from 2-to-48 hours to vary the amount of color in each lot. The wine also benefitted by fermenting and aging in stainless steel tanks, which underscores the vintage’s lovely fruit aromas. The result is a beautifully elegant and dry rosé, with lifted tangerine and watermelon aromas, as well as a fun aroma that brings to mind youthful memories of bubblegum. On the palate, bright, crisp acidity is balanced by richer layers of ripe apricot and cantaloupe, resulting in a wine that is refreshingly smooth and ideal for enjoying during fun, al fresco gatherings.