I've never tasted so many rosés before this year. Thanks to its growing popularity, there are more rosés on the market as the segment continues to expand. But with this growth comes growing pains. Not all of it is good, much of it is a producer's after-thought, and some of it is being made with odd grape varieties, such as pinot gris.

Lorenza wine producers Michele Ouellet and her mother Melinda Kearney.

Perhaps that is why we like Lorenza, a California rosé being made by mother/daughter team Melinda Kearney and Michele Ouellet. Ten years ago they fell in love with rosé and decided to form a company that made nothing but rosé. And, they use the grape varieties traditionally used by the French who have perfected rosé: grenache, syrah, cinsault and mourvedre.

I enjoy wine made with these varieties, but I also found several good ones made with pinot noir.

From France, I liked the many rosés made by Michel Chapoutier, Whispering Angel, Minuity, and Guigal. From the West Coast, my favorites were those rosés made by Inman, Ponzi, Lorenza and Cline.

I'll have a full report in my column next week.