The Wine: ‘Pale Flowers’
- Clear, orange garnet and distinctive color for a rosé
- Dry, medium bodied
- Needed some time to open up for the aromatics to be more pronounced
- Clean nose with medium intensity
- Aromas of dried flowers, a hint of dried roses, and orange peel
- ‘Pale Flowers’ is an appropriate name, very subtle, delicate floral aromas and flavors
- Clean on the palate, medium-bodied with notes of dried flowers, allspice, dried strawberries, and a tangy acidity
- I think I drank this at the right time, probably would not have stayed as fresh for much longer
The Winery: Linne Calodo
Linne Calodo was founded by winemaker Matt Trevisan and his wife Maureen in 1998 in the Willow Creek AVA of Paso Robles, California. While attending college at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Matt was introduced to the world of winemaking by chance. His college roommate Justin Smith, the mastermind behind the cult wine label Saxum, was Matt’s bridge into the world of wine and he soon changed majors from Aerospace Engineering to pursue winemaking.
A man whose hobbies include flying planes and racing cars, Matt is also the kind of guy who respects mother nature. Linne Calodo, translated to limestone and clay, is a winery rooted in the philosophy that wines should be shaped by the land where they were grown. At a relatively minimal production of 4,000-5,000 cases annually, each wine is developed around four main factors: minimalist intervention winemaking, steadfast viticulture practices, vineyard location, and building upon experience from previous harvests.
To learn more about the winery and the Linne Calodo tasting experience, check out this blog post.
The Region: Willow Creek AVA in Paso Robles, CA
Paso Robles is located between San Francisco and Los Angeles along California’s Central Coast. The region includes over 40,000 acres of vineyards and upwards of 200 wineries. There are 11 AVA’s within Paso Robles and each exhibits unique microclimates and diverse soil compositions.
Linne Calodo is located within the Willow Creek AVA on the west side of Paso Robles. In this AVA there are mountainous bedrock slopes and higher elevations between 960-1,900 ft. During the growing season, average rainfall is 24-30 inches and the diurnal temperature swing ranges from 20-30°F. This large diurnal temperature change is one of the reasons Paso Robles has become a successful region for viticulture. The Willow Creek AVA also sits in line with the Templeton Gap, which is a mountain formation that draws in that cooler coastal air from the Pacific Ocean.
The soils in the Willow Creek District are mostly bedrock (residual) soils from the middle and lower members of the Monterrey formation. There are patches of alluvial soils, but the soil is largely calcareous limestone with some loam and clay loam.
Suggested Pairings
- Spiced chicken kebabs with tzatziki
- Herb packed cucumber and tomato salad
- Greek gyros
- Chicken tikka masala
- Saag paneer
- Spanikopita
- Heirloom tomato galette
- Baked feta with olives, lemon, and rosemary
- Romesco sauce with homemade flatbread or naan
