Mina Penelope Montepulciano Rose

This week’s wine crush is Mina Penélope Montepulciano Rosé. 

While we suppose it has officially been rosé season for a while now, this week we’re crushing on a rosé for all seasons. The 100% Montepulciano rosé from Mina Penélope hits all the high notes: fresh picked strawberries, hints of bright tropical fruits, guava and pineapple, all with a core of acidity that makes your mouth water long after you’ve taken a sip. A surprisingly long time—though it’s hard to tell for how long exactly, because your salivating mouth will immediately be reaching for another sip. 

Winemaker Veronica Santiago, and her husband Nathan Malagon, have a vested interest in preserving the region of Baja, specifically the vine's of the Valle de Guadalupe, allowing them to truly reflect their sense of place. Vineyard management is done by Nathan as he follows in this family's footsteps— dry farming, planting native varietals, as well as preserving the varietals that have been growing in the region for generations. Veronica takes the resulting grapes and allows them to express their own story, no additives and no tricks. 

75% of all Mexican wine is being grown in Baja, but the region is home to several different microclimates, diverse soil types, and subregions that are all producing vastly different wines. Veronica and Nathan's vineyards are nestled in the valley with soils ranging from sand to granite. Mina Penélope's production is minuscule and everything is done by hand in the vineyard and cellar. The grapes are picked late at night to preserve their natural acidity, sit on the skins briefly (about 20 minutes give or take), then are fermented in steel tanks for 17 days, and  finally aged for 4 months in the bottle. The result of all this precision is something you can taste, one mouthwatering sip after the next.