It’s National Rosé Day!!!

It seems that there’s a National Something day every day of the year. But since it’s National Rosé day on June 12^th, I thought it would be an excellent time to run a post on one of Napa’s best Rosé makers: Jillian Johnson DeLeon.

But first a confession. I’ve never been a big fan of Rosé. All I have to do is take that first tentative sip and feel all that sugar hurtling down my palette to choke a little down and discreetly pour the rest into the spit bucket. How gauche I know!! But that’s just me. Tons of people are crazy about the stuff, so live and let live. Recently I came across Onesta Wines’ web site that promised a completely dry and elegant Rosé made in the Provencal style that finished with a rich texture. Now that’s a kind of Rosé that even I could get behind.  Besides the aforementioned Rosé – Jillian’s Syrah sounds very intriguing too.  So I got in touch with Jillian.

Jillian, who is a graduate of UC Davis with extensive wine making experience around the world, told me she loved the Insider site and knew almost everyone I’ve written about. So we got on like a house on fire and she had no problem doing the NSI quiz. Cheers and enjoy…

What was last night’s dinner? A bit of a long pause while she thought about it. Actually I didn’t have dinner last night. I had a big lunch at Tarla Mediterranean Bar + Grill that was just fantastic, grilled octopus salad and lamb kebabs,  I was so stuffed, I didn’t need dinner.

Favorite music? I like a wide range, but Led Zep is still my fav.

Favorite drink? Do I have to say Rosé? I also love a Ketel One Martini.

Favorite place to dine in Napa? ZuZu. Fantastic tapas and terrific service – that’s why it’s been a staple on Main for years.

What makes a great wine? In a word, dedication. You have to be totally dedicated to the whole process, because it’s really easy to mess it up if you’re not.

Favorite thing about living and working in Napa? The community and camaraderie between everyone. Such a great feeling. Sometimes it doesn’t even feel like work.

Any brush with celebrity? Not really, but I met Les Claypool of Primus who loves my Rosé. And Journey asks for our Rosé on their backstage rider.

Any restaurant, wine or trip on your bucket list? I’d love to dine at Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa Bay. Not so much for the food or ambience, but for that incredible wine cellar and list they got.

Final thoughts? Don’t overthink wine. Just enjoy it. And drink lots of it.