Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2009 Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese from the Columbia Valley of Washington State.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$15
• Must be widely available

In case you haven’t gotten your fill of virtual tastings yet, tonight there is another one featuring Washington wine. Organized by Randall PR and hosted by Paul Gregutt, the Northwest’s most prominent wine writer, #WARose (the event’s Twitter hashtag) is a virtual event whose goal is to get folks drinking and talking about dry rosé wines from Washington State.

Tonight, Paul will taste and talk about these eight Washington dry rosés:
Syncline Wine Cellars 2009 Rosé, Columbia Valley ($16)
Waters Winery 2009 Rosé, Walla Walla Valley ($18)
Chinook Wines 2009 Cabernet Franc Rosé, Yakima Valley ($14.99)
Sleight of Hand Cellars 2009 Rosé of Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley ($17.99)
Charles & Charles 2009 Rosé of Syrah, Columbia Valley ($12.99)
Lullaby Winery 2008 Rosé of Grenache, Columbia Valley ($16)
Barnard Griffin 2009 Rosé of Sangiovese, Columbia Valley ($12)
Dusted Valley 2009 Rosé, Columbia Valley ($18)

Participants are invited to watch the live stream, ask questions, and tweet their thoughts. We will be participating and wanted to recommend one of the wines that meets our “A Wine for Tonight” criteria so that you can join in and taste along if you’d like.

Barnard Griffin Winery, located in Richland, Washington, was founded in 1983 by Rob Griffin and his wife Deborah Barnard. Rob moved to Washington State in 1977 to be winemaker for Preston Wine Cellars when there were under ten wineries in the entire state. Shortly after founding Barnard Griffin, Rob left Preston and went to work for Hogue Cellars as winemaker and general manager. In 1991, Rob left Hogue to devote his full time and energy to Barnard Griffin. The current winery and tasting room were built in 1996. Barnard Griffin’s current annual production is approximately 75,000 cases. Their Rosé of Sangiovese is one of the most well-known and widely available Washington State rosés. I look forward to its release each year.

“A dry Sangiovese Rosé tour de force! Boasts a range of complex flavors built around racy strawberry and tart orange with hints of melon rind and peach. Impresses because of its perfect balance between rich, concentrated flavors and mouthwatering acidity.” –Owner/winemaker Rob Griffin

So go to your local wine shop, pick up a bottle of this 2009 Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese or any of the aforementioned Washington rosés, log on to Twitter between 5:30 and 7pm PDT tonight, and participate in the #WARose event. You’ll find me on Twitter @winepeeps.

And, even if you have no interest in participating in the virtual event, this is a great bottle to enjoy on a warm summer evening.

2009 Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale to medium pinkish salmon color. Very aromatic. A lot of red fruits up front on both the nose and palate, especially strawberries, raspberries, and watermelon. Dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced and very refreshing with a long finish. A great sipper on a hot summer day.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $11; Available elsewhere, $9 to $13

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