They say while the cat’s away…and while my partner in wine was away last week, I enjoyed sharing two delightful wines with a great friend. There is nothing quite like sharing great wines with great friends. It could have only been better had we taken our get together to Venice Beach to hunt shark teeth! 🦈
The evening began with a crisp and clean rosé and quickly switched to some bubbles to finish it off. It was the perfect girls’ evening and just what we needed.
🥂 Tres Perlas Daughters Rosé of Pinot Noir
I should probably confess that I opened this prior to my friend’s arrival because I love this just that much. The Tres Perlas rosé we shared last week was from a previous visit, but I replenished my supply during my recent Napa trip. It’s crisp, clean, and so refreshing. It’s not the sweet or overly cloying rosé that many people shy away from. So it was the perfect first pour for our catch-up.
Wine: 2022 Tres Perlas Daughters Rosé of Pinot Noir
Winery: Tres Perlas
Region: Los Carneros, Napa Valley
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Price: ~$50
Rating: 🏝️🏝️🏝️🏝️🏝️
Tasting Notes:
This is a rosé that I return to again and again, regardless of the vintage. Tres Perlas has become one of our favorite family-owned wineries, and this rosé is consistently perfect for sipping on our lanai, at the beach, or with friends. We are also truly enamored by the Tres Perlas story—named for the owners’ three daughters. And it’s stories like this that make learning about the families behind the wine so special.
This rosé is refreshing with bright strawberry and peach aromas, featuring enough acidity to keep it vibrant. It is, quite simply, the perfect beach wine for our city by the gulf.
Paired With: We enjoyed this with sushi, but it’s perfection on its own or with a light salad.
Where to Buy: Purchase online through the Tres Perlas website
🥂 Joy Caldwell Brut Reserve Champagne
I was so excited to pop the cork on our first bottle of Joy Caldwell Champagne. And the Joy Caldwell Brut Reserve was the perfect cork to pop on the lanai with my bubbles-loving friend.
This isn’t just another mass-market brand; it’s actually Joy Caldwell’s (of Caldwell Vineyards in Napa) personal passion project. She’s curated these Champagne options with such a dedicated, artisanal touch that you can really taste the care in every glass. It’s the definition of “beachy luxury”—high-quality Champagne that doesn’t feel the need to be stuffy. We enjoyed a Champagne tasting at Caldwell during our visit last fall, and this was one of the bottles we brought home.
The Joy Caldwell Brut Reserve Champagne. A must-try if you’re a bubbles-lover!
Wine: Joy Caldwell Brut Reserve Champagne
Winery: Caldwell Vineyards
Region: Champagne, France
Blend: 50% Chardonnay; 50% Pinot Noir
Price: ~$100
Rating: 🏝️🏝️🏝️🏝️🏝️
Tasting Notes:
One of the reasons I love this Brut Reserve is that it’s authentic Grower Champagne sourced directly from the legendary region of Champagne, France, by Joy Caldwell herself. Unlike the big commercial brands on every shelf, these are crafted by small, independent growers who farm their own land. You’re tasting “farm-to-bottle” transparency, a level of character and terroir that you just don’t get from mass-produced bubbles.
It was crisp with an endless stream of tiny bubbles. It had a classic fresh-baked bread aroma and a creamy texture, finishing with that mineral “chalkiness” that is the hallmark of a great Champagne.
Where to Buy: Caldwell Vineyard online
🏝️ Venice Wine Experience Thoughts
If you’ve been following along, you know that we love the memories that come with opening a nice bottle of wine. We’ve been enjoying Tres Perlas wines for years, and our visit to Caldwell Vineyard in Napa remains a highlight of our recent travels. We had such a great Champagne tasting there that we ended up rolling into their Napa reds—which are now some of our very favorites!
The places we try, the people we’re with, and the trips we take make the wines we drink even more special.
My partner in wine and I hope that you can try some of these wines to make some of your own memories. 🥂 What wines evoke memories for you? We’d love to know in the comments below!