Last Summer, Proof’s Beverage Manager Chea Beckley was approached by Dave Dubou of Vintner’s Select, a regional wine distributor, to take part in a national program called The Summer of Riesling.  The Summer of Riesling, created in 2008 by New York restaurateur Paul Grieco, was started to bring awareness to the oft-misunderstood “noble” grape.  To many, Riesling is considered only to be a sweet white wine and is oftentimes dismissed by wine drinkers.  Through the program, Beckley and his team are able to open the minds of their guests.  Says Beckley, “many wine drinkers will simply pass if their palate is not suitable to sweet wines.  It is true that Rieslings can be sweet, in fact very sweet if wanted, but they can also be bone dry. Beyond sweetness, Riesling is arguably the most versatile of white varietals and can exhibit varying intensity.  The Summer of Riesling program allows us to showcase some of the many different expressions Riesling can exhibit that people may not be aware of. It also [allows] our guests the opportunity to try different styles without committing to a full bottle.”

With the success of the program last year, Beckley and the team at Proof on Main were prompted to consider other varietals to showcase this summer in addition to Riesling.  “Naturally I thought of going to Rosé first,” says Beckley.  And with that The War of The Rosés was born.  Beckley continues, “both Rosé and Riesling are often misunderstood in our neck of the woods.  For Rosé, the predominant perception has been sullied by new world production of look-a-likes such as White Zinfandel and California-made Blush which have both gained the reputation (fairly or unfairly) of being cheap, sweet and otherwise dull.  For this reason, we have selected strictly dry Rosés, most of which emerge from the home of Rosé, France.  Others included in the program have come from the United States, Italy and Spain, but all chosen for the program are honorable representatives of the name Rosé.”

Both of the programs, which have been in full swing for a while now, will continue throughout the rest of the summer.  Due to the production and availability of Rosé, which is produced in the spring and meant to be enjoyed while young, The War of The Rosés will end shortly after the end of August.  The Summer of Riesling will end on September 21^st, the final day of summer.  While Riesling can be enjoyed throughout the year, Beckley says that Riesling and Rosé are go to varietals for the summer months because “both have such expressive and inviting aromas of fruits and flowers that lend themselves to the fruitfulness of summer and can be at the same time mouthwatering and thirst quenching.  They are both usually lower in alcohol content and extremely refreshing on a hot day.”  Beckley says that by the end of summer they will have gone through at least a dozen of each varietal.  “It’s hard work to rotate so frequently, but we are so dedicated and excited to give everyone the chance to try as many different styles and expressions of each varietal that it hardly feels like work at all,” he continues, “ our team is a big part of the reason why [the programs have been so successful].  They’ve had to learn and relay a lot of information to make this happen and their enthusiasm and love of wine is reflected in the success of the programs.”

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