VINES & WINES: 'Rosé season has begun'

There was only a slight hesitation in Emily Marshall Jones' response when she was asked about the perfect wine for the season.

"Yikes! There are so many, but for me, rosé season has begun," said Jones, who, with her mother, Marie, are the new owners of Strawberry Street Vineyard, a cozy wine shop in the Fan.

"A nice dry, fresh rosé is all I want when the weather starts to get warmer. I really like the 2010 Domaine Sorin Terra Amata Côtes de Provence," which sells for $14.99.

What a blend it is — grenache, cinsault, syrah, mourvèdre, carignan, rolle and orgi. "The whole gang," Jones said.

"It is very light pink-peach in color. The aromas include strawberries, a little bit of orange and lots of floral notes like jasmine, lavender and freesia. There is definitely a distinct herbal quality to this wine as well with hints of thyme. For a very light and refreshing dry rosé, this has lots of layers."

As for finding a food mate: "It has a fair amount of acid that makes food pairing a little easier, and it definitely tastes very clean and fresh. For food, I paired it with Pork Roulade (with rosemary, onion and almond inside) last week, and it was very good. Also great to sip by itself or with fresh grilled seafood."

Jones began working in restaurants when she was about 15, and she was interested in food and cooking, "so I had a natural curiosity about wine. Of course, I didn't drink it at the time.

"My brother (Brad Jr.) is also a huge wine nerd, and he taught me a lot. Wine really clicked for me when I was studying in France and got to try lots of inexpensive and very good wine there.

"Also, my father planted 5 acres of viognier two years ago, so that also has taught me a lot about the wine-making process. My mother has certainly been interested in wine for a long time and inherited her passion for it from her father. She has been studying wine and working in the vineyard, so I guess wine is definitely a passion that the whole family has fallen into."

Jones' transition to retailer happened easily and "naturally," she said.

"Henry (Reidy) was ready to move on and wasn't really sure what to do with the shop and was thinking about closing," she said. "I had been working for him for two years and had recently graduated from Randolph-Macon. I really got the news that he was thinking about closing about a week after I had passed my first sommelier exam, so when I mentioned the situation to my mother, we both had the same idea.

"We both love wine and were both very attached to the shop, so we just decided to jump in."

Wine events

May 7: Taste of New Kent Wine Festival, New Kent Winery; 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; 14 wineries; $25 advance, $35 at gate; under 21, $15 at gate, and 10 and younger, free. For information: www.atasteofnewkent.com.

May 7: Libation on the Lawn, Battersea's Wine Fest, 1289 Upper Appomattox Lane, Petersburg; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; eight wineries; $20 advance, $25 at gate; www.batterseafound.org or (804) 732-9882.

May 7: Mother's Day Jazz, Lake Anna Winery; 6-10 p.m.; $30 (for food, live big band music); www.lawinery.com or (540) 895-5085.

May 7: Spring Town Point Wine Festival, Town Point Park, Norfolk; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 23 wineries; $35; reserved tables at $150 and $275; (757) 441-2345.

May 7: Wine and Run for the Roses, 3 p.m., the Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William and Mary; six state wineries, silent and live auctions; $75. Information: (757) 221-2709 or www.wm.edu/muscarelle.

May 7-8: Montpelier Wine Festival, Orange; Saturday, 11.am.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; 24 wineries; $15 advance (through May 4), $25 at gate, 11 and younger free; ages 12-20, $5; www.montpelierwinefestival.com or (540) 672-5216.

May 8: Mother's Day Strawberry Shortcake & Wine Pairing, James River Cellars, 11008 Washington Highway, Glen Allen; 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; $5 (mother's tasting is free); www.jamesrivercellars.com or (804) 550-7516