The Story of the Stowaway: Rodney Strong Rose of Pinot Noir

 

 

AN ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY: RODNEY STRONG ROSE OF PINOT NOIR

First, a warning: Be careful when buying “open” cases of wine. Sometimes, a stowaway gets into the mix and it’s not discovered until much later.

In this case, the stowaway turned out to be a delightful passenger. I got lucky. The strangler was a major surprise and now I’m a devoted loyalist to this new discovery.

We often buy wine by the case. At Costco, there’s a spectacularly inexpensive boutique Rose from South Africa called “Boschendal–The Rose Garden.” It’s lovely. As drinkable a summer wine for a low price point as exists. We love this wine (and I’ve written about it previously).

However, when we got home we noticed one bottle was a stray. This happens with open cases. Good thing someone didn’t stick a $900 bottle of something inside, but of course, that would have been noticed at check out.

The stowaway was RODNEY STRONG ROSE OF PINOT NOIR Nothing against Rodney Strong, but this isn’t the type of wine I would normally purchase. Nonetheless, the bottle made it home and it was 100 degrees outside, so let’s drink it!

What a pleasant surprise! This Sonoma (Russian River Valley) wine was just the perfect refreshing, crisp, smooth palate cleanser. For breakfast or dinner or in-between. Celebrate a wedding.  Celebrate a divorce or a breakup. Hell, it’s Wednesday. Time for wine.

The REAL surprise ended up being what we paid at Costco. The RODNEY STRONG ROSE OF PINOT NOIR typically sells for $13-19 at most retailers. Costco sold it at $8.95 (we checked the receipt). So, not only did we end up with a new friend, but the cost is at least a third cheaper than elsewhere when purchased at Costco. Now, that’s a friendship I’ll savor! Say hello to my little friend!

Maybe next time, I’ll play wine roulette and let another stray bottle make it home! Rodney Strong Rose — for the win!

Value: 9
Drinkability: 8
Recommended–Highly