The 2018 Vacationer California Rosé is a food driven rosé that is as comfortable next to a summer BBQ or spicy Thai food as it is next to the pool.
Vacationer is easy drinking, everyday wine. Crisp and refreshing, Vacationer pairs perfectly with good friends, front porches, rooftop parties, happy hour, or at the beach. The bright, round flavors balance with the dry earthiness and subtle sweetness, making it every day, any time of the year rosé.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
Sharing a passion for the finest, sustainably farmed wines, Dennen wines is a collaboration between award-winning Napa Winery Smith Devereux and acclaimed singer-songwriter Brett Dennen.
“A wine like this helps to live life like a vacation. It sips like a simple melody with subtle depth. Vacations are a necessity to the soul. They inspire us to think and feel outside of the routines we get caught up in. Drinking rosé is my favorite way to unwind.” - Brett Dennen
Winery: Smith Devereux Winery
Owners: John Truchard, Steve Smith and Ian Devereux White
Founded: 2012-2013
Location: Napa, CA
The Smith Devereux story began, as many great stories do, with music and wine. A travel and wine writer, a farmer with some of Napa Valley’s best grapes, and a music industry insider with a love for wine and need for change; we were an unlikely trio. But a nearly impossible opportunity at just the right time brought us together, and together we have stayed. Weeks after meeting we shook hands backstage at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, CA and took on the deal that would lead us into a life-long friendship, the founding of a winery, and a plan to conquer the world. Well… the wine world. True world domination may actually be outside of our skill set.
We blended our backgrounds in music and wine, paired them with partner John Anthony Truchard’s wine industry and farming expertise, and formed Smith Devereux. Devereux and Smith now lead the charge for the trio and are driven by the goal to make world-class wines at modest prices. Every bottle tells a story. We hope that our wines will become a part of yours.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
First time Lab Rats here, thanks for the opportunity Casemates!
My wife and I received a bottle of Vacationer 2018 from Smith & Devereux on Friday and we did our tasting on Saturday after letting the wine chill for 12 hours.
We did multiple tastings at different temperatures and I will list the notes from each tasting below. If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!
W = my wife (her nose is much better than mine so expect better notes from her)
H = Me
We used two glasses, a wide-bowled champagne glass and a traditional white wine glass to see if we could get different aromas (no such luck)
This was our least favorite of the three, though that was to be expected I guess as straight out fridge is a little too cold for rose. The minerality was more pronounced and it was less acidic. The finish was not nearly as round as the other two. Very crisp.
10 minutes outside of the fridge:
This tasting was the runner-up, the nose started to open up more and we got peach and passion fruit. The wine was still crisp but it was starting to open up more. The finish was much rounder than straight out of the fridge.
20 minutes outside of the fridge:
This was our favorite, giving the wine time to breath and to warm up was well worth it. The acidity started to kick up though. The finish was the roundest we had seen it and we started to get some new aromas (listed below).
Combined tasting notes:
Appearance:
W: Peachy color with a little bit of an orange undertone
H: Peach color
Aroma:
W: Not a very strong nose, some tropical fruit (mango and lychee specifically), a bit of peach on the nose.
H: faint nose, tropical fruits
Body:
W: light bodied
H: light bodied
Taste:
W: High acidity, light minerality, peach, passion fruit
H: Somewhat crisp in the beginning, but not too crisp. Definitely tasting some peach
Finish:
W: Finish becomes rounder as the wine opens up, does become a little more bitter as it warms up. Minerality is definitely there.
H: Finish is very round, would be very easy to drink in the summer
Price guess:
W: $10-15
H: $10
All in all we would say while this is not a wine we would purchase (we are much more partial to reds) this is a solid porch pounder and would be a great accompaniment! to a summer BBQ.
@dioniseuss@rjquillin thank you for taking so much time and effort! Bummer that you wouldn’t buy it but sounds like you were Red lovers trying a a varietal you’re not inclined to buy anyway. Perhaps you’d prefer some of our reds. Thank you again for your time and care! -Dev
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 Vacationer California Rosé - $20 = 16.66%
The 2015 and 2016 vintages were go-to wines for us over the past couple summers but the 2015 was mostly Tempranillo, while the 2016 was mostly PS and Malbec. The 2018 changes again (was there a 2017?). Now there is no PS. Malbec is in the lead and the balance is Petit Verdot. Interesting…
@rjquillin
Yes, the 2015 was offered 2x in 2017 on WW. I bought a case each time. Picked up a case of 2016 from Invino. Besides being enjoyable to drink, this wine introduced me to the music of Brett Dennen.
Vacationer California Rosé, 2018 the year of our lord…
[pic not showing up via iphone]
Pink Peach Copper color…
[pic not showing up via iphone]
I cracked the twist top with the bottle clocking at 55degrees. I let the bottle sweat at room temp (78 degrees at night at the time of tasting) the duration of the tasting and decided not to put it into a decanter. We drank in stemless (as pictured) glasses…’cause I didn’t choose this thuglife, this thuglife chose me.
Subtle tropical nose that opened up as you’d expect over time but not a lot.
Three sips in and the judgement begins… not as tart as i expected and a tad more savory than I was expecting. The subtle nose tried to clue me into this. Peach flavor and more melon after the swallow. Overtime I picked up more notes of preripe honeydew playing against the earthyness, making it apparent what an easy drinker this one is.
Enjoy well chilled at a BBQ, pool party, aperitivo hour, picnic, or a summer concert at the Hollywood Bowl. And yet it is still priced as a great Wednesday night/ everyday drinker…
Thank you all! I’m a co-founder / vintner at Smith Devereux and just want to say thank you for supporting our boutique Napa winery and please don’t hesitate to reach out!!
I am SO SORRY that I am late to the game. It has been a rough day. On the upside, after reading the other rat’s reviews, I think it might be better that I was, as I suspect my bottle got cooked.
So, first things first, got the notice 1 day before I got the bottle. Received the bottle at home Friday morning, so it’s not like it (should have) sat in any facilities for a long time…
We let it chill and rest for a day and a half, and opened it Saturday night. Out of the fridge (too cold) it had a nose that reminded me of a Sauv Blanc. I didn’t get any fruit on the nose, but the wife got a hint of strawberry. Outside of that, both of us got astringent/chemical smells from the wine. I liked her description best: it smelled like the gardening aisle at a big box DIY store.
The wine had legs for days, and a dull, slightly peachy or brownish color.
We tasted it, and were rewarded with the same astringency we smelled. I got a strong undercurrent of red berries, but the wife did not. She likened it to floor varnish. I felt the taste buds on the back of my tongue swell in a way I’ve not noticed before, so I googled to confirm my suspicion that it was my bitter taste buds that were going absolutely crazy. I couldn’t taste bitter though, over the astringency.
I decided to try with food to see how it fared. Baby Swiss had no effect. Likewise Vintage Cheddar. I had a lot of cheese, thinking maybe it’d help cover some of the taste buds that were getting the bad sides of the wine. Nope.
I followed with sweet milk chocolate. This worked to cover the astringency, which had the net effect of strengthening the bitterness. C’est la vie.
So, I googled the wine. Someone online said it went great with chips and guac. I didn’t have avocados, so I went to chips and salsa. Pineapple habanero salsa did the trick; it became a decent experience after that, but only because the flavors covered up so much.
The wife and I are lovers of CdP rosé. We loved the Pedroncelli dry rosé of zin earlier this year, and were lukewarm on the OTP, to give you some idea of what we like for comparison purposes.
Ultimately, my wife’s take was “it’s just not pleasant”. For my part, I’d drink it if it was being served at a party with chips and salsa, but it’s not something I plan to buy (sorry).
My wife made a funny quip: the label says it pairs perfectly with good friends, rooftop parties, and happy hour at the beach. “Those are all places where you’re already drunk.”
As noted at the top of the review, our experience deviated so dramatically from the other Rats that I’d almost say you can disregard our feedback as an anomaly if you so choose.
Thanks for the opportunity to Rat, and sorry again for the late post!
@devereux Agreed; based on the notes above it seems like it might be something we’d enjoy under better circumstances. If I can pick up a bottle locally I’ll have another go.
@opiate2002 please do!!! Or perhaps I can send you a sample? my email is ian@smithdevereux.com and I’d happily replace the bottle just so you know how good it really is!
Hey y’all! I’m the founder and vintner at SMith Devereux so if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out! We’re a boutique Napa Valley Winery and every bottle makes a big difference so THANK YOU!
Picked up a case. Taking a chance on regular shipping as I cannot stomach adding $40 for expedited. Not really looking to share but would be willing to part with a few.
Tasting Notes
The 2018 Vacationer California Rosé is a food driven rosé that is as comfortable next to a summer BBQ or spicy Thai food as it is next to the pool.
Vacationer is easy drinking, everyday wine. Crisp and refreshing, Vacationer pairs perfectly with good friends, front porches, rooftop parties, happy hour, or at the beach. The bright, round flavors balance with the dry earthiness and subtle sweetness, making it every day, any time of the year rosé.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
Sharing a passion for the finest, sustainably farmed wines, Dennen wines is a collaboration between award-winning Napa Winery Smith Devereux and acclaimed singer-songwriter Brett Dennen.
“A wine like this helps to live life like a vacation. It sips like a simple melody with subtle depth. Vacations are a necessity to the soul. They inspire us to think and feel outside of the routines we get caught up in. Drinking rosé is my favorite way to unwind.” - Brett Dennen
Specifications
Included In The Box
Price Comparison
$236.52/case at Baker Lane (including shipping)
About The Winery
Winery: Smith Devereux Winery
Owners: John Truchard, Steve Smith and Ian Devereux White
Founded: 2012-2013
Location: Napa, CA
The Smith Devereux story began, as many great stories do, with music and wine. A travel and wine writer, a farmer with some of Napa Valley’s best grapes, and a music industry insider with a love for wine and need for change; we were an unlikely trio. But a nearly impossible opportunity at just the right time brought us together, and together we have stayed. Weeks after meeting we shook hands backstage at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, CA and took on the deal that would lead us into a life-long friendship, the founding of a winery, and a plan to conquer the world. Well… the wine world. True world domination may actually be outside of our skill set.
We blended our backgrounds in music and wine, paired them with partner John Anthony Truchard’s wine industry and farming expertise, and formed Smith Devereux. Devereux and Smith now lead the charge for the trio and are driven by the goal to make world-class wines at modest prices. Every bottle tells a story. We hope that our wines will become a part of yours.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Sep 16 - Tuesday, Sep 17
Vacationer California Rosé
6 bottles for $59.99 $10/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $99.99 $8.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 Vacationer California Rosé
Hi All!
First time Lab Rats here, thanks for the opportunity Casemates!
My wife and I received a bottle of Vacationer 2018 from Smith & Devereux on Friday and we did our tasting on Saturday after letting the wine chill for 12 hours.
We did multiple tastings at different temperatures and I will list the notes from each tasting below. If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!
W = my wife (her nose is much better than mine so expect better notes from her)
H = Me
We used two glasses, a wide-bowled champagne glass and a traditional white wine glass to see if we could get different aromas (no such luck)
Pairings: grilled chicken (using the following rub https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/spice-rubs-and-pastes/simon-and-garfunkel-spice-blend-and-baste-recipe) and asparagus
Straight out of the fridge (ice cold):
This was our least favorite of the three, though that was to be expected I guess as straight out fridge is a little too cold for rose. The minerality was more pronounced and it was less acidic. The finish was not nearly as round as the other two. Very crisp.
10 minutes outside of the fridge:
This tasting was the runner-up, the nose started to open up more and we got peach and passion fruit. The wine was still crisp but it was starting to open up more. The finish was much rounder than straight out of the fridge.
20 minutes outside of the fridge:
This was our favorite, giving the wine time to breath and to warm up was well worth it. The acidity started to kick up though. The finish was the roundest we had seen it and we started to get some new aromas (listed below).
Combined tasting notes:
Appearance:
W: Peachy color with a little bit of an orange undertone
H: Peach color
Aroma:
W: Not a very strong nose, some tropical fruit (mango and lychee specifically), a bit of peach on the nose.
H: faint nose, tropical fruits
Body:
W: light bodied
H: light bodied
Taste:
W: High acidity, light minerality, peach, passion fruit
H: Somewhat crisp in the beginning, but not too crisp. Definitely tasting some peach
Finish:
W: Finish becomes rounder as the wine opens up, does become a little more bitter as it warms up. Minerality is definitely there.
H: Finish is very round, would be very easy to drink in the summer
Price guess:
W: $10-15
H: $10
All in all we would say while this is not a wine we would purchase (we are much more partial to reds) this is a solid porch pounder and would be a great accompaniment! to a summer BBQ.
@dioniseuss well done!
@dioniseuss @rjquillin thank you for taking so much time and effort! Bummer that you wouldn’t buy it but sounds like you were Red lovers trying a a varietal you’re not inclined to buy anyway. Perhaps you’d prefer some of our reds. Thank you again for your time and care! -Dev
@dioniseuss this is great! Thank you for your thorough review, from everyone on team Smith//Dev!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 Vacationer California Rosé - $20 = 16.66%
@chipgreen that’s a lot! And for a “porch pounder” I think totally worth it! Then again, I’m not exactly impartial!
The 2015 and 2016 vintages were go-to wines for us over the past couple summers but the 2015 was mostly Tempranillo, while the 2016 was mostly PS and Malbec. The 2018 changes again (was there a 2017?). Now there is no PS. Malbec is in the lead and the balance is Petit Verdot. Interesting…
@chipgreen Saw you and Wicked Panda both have an earlier vintage.
WW?
Don’t recall seeing this.
Yes, interesting blend…
@rjquillin
Yes, the 2015 was offered 2x in 2017 on WW. I bought a case each time. Picked up a case of 2016 from Invino. Besides being enjoyable to drink, this wine introduced me to the music of Brett Dennen.
@chipgreen @rjquillin much lighter and crisper than you’d expect. Awesome with spicy food and grilled foods too!
MEALS! DEALS! EELS! AWESOME!
@chipgreen @rjquillin isn’t Brett amazing! He is a dear friend and part of the winemaking process from start to finish!
Anyone in SoCal up for a split? Sounds interesting.
@MarkDaSpark hope so, think you’ll love it!!
@MarkDaSpark could make some work
@rjquillin
Need more than just us two!
@MarkDaSpark Ok I am in.
@connorbush @MarkDaSpark
Any more suckers (holdover from WW terminology).
@MarkDaSpark @rjquillin
@connorbush @rjquillin
4 each ok, then?
@MarkDaSpark @rjquillin sold
@connorbush @MarkDaSpark
That would work for me, or three should someone else want in.
MdS, you still have FS?
@connorbush @MarkDaSpark nice!!!
@MarkDaSpark @connorbush
Just checking, this get done?
@connorbush @rjquillin
Yes. And yes on free shipping, but with this heat, added the ice (but no charge to you guys, unless you want to chip in on it.)
So $11.20 in sales tax added to regular case price.
/giphy noxious-ugly-wing
@connorbush @rjquillin
You two coming to the gathering tomorrow?
@MarkDaSpark @rjquillin Sadly I will be missing this one!
@connorbush @MarkDaSpark already here
And MdS has 2 eis wine with my name on them.
@MarkDaSpark @rjquillin that’s fair
Vacationer California Rosé, 2018 the year of our lord…
[pic not showing up via iphone]
Pink Peach Copper color…
[pic not showing up via iphone]
I cracked the twist top with the bottle clocking at 55degrees. I let the bottle sweat at room temp (78 degrees at night at the time of tasting) the duration of the tasting and decided not to put it into a decanter. We drank in stemless (as pictured) glasses…’cause I didn’t choose this thuglife, this thuglife chose me.
Subtle tropical nose that opened up as you’d expect over time but not a lot.
Three sips in and the judgement begins… not as tart as i expected and a tad more savory than I was expecting. The subtle nose tried to clue me into this. Peach flavor and more melon after the swallow. Overtime I picked up more notes of preripe honeydew playing against the earthyness, making it apparent what an easy drinker this one is.
Enjoy well chilled at a BBQ, pool party, aperitivo hour, picnic, or a summer concert at the Hollywood Bowl. And yet it is still priced as a great Wednesday night/ everyday drinker…
@ecue awesome comments. Exactly what we were going for. Much love!
POPSOCKETS! SPROCKETS! DAVY CROCKETT! AWESOME!
@ecue
@ecue Loved “We drank in stemless (as pictured) glasses…’cause I didn’t choose this thuglife, this thuglife chose me.”
@ecue @ejrunion love that you loved it!! Thank you!!
@ecue nice notes!
Thank you all! I’m a co-founder / vintner at Smith Devereux and just want to say thank you for supporting our boutique Napa winery and please don’t hesitate to reach out!!
/giphy enamored-tan-steel
/giphy buoyant-gasping-tank
/giphy impossible-nauseating-rat
Yay Rose! I needed one more to close the summer!
@wmhatch and it’s great with fall foods too!!
Thank you to everyone who’s participated! My name is Chelsea and I’m the marketing manager at S//D. Love this community
Hi all,
I am SO SORRY that I am late to the game. It has been a rough day. On the upside, after reading the other rat’s reviews, I think it might be better that I was, as I suspect my bottle got cooked.
So, first things first, got the notice 1 day before I got the bottle. Received the bottle at home Friday morning, so it’s not like it (should have) sat in any facilities for a long time…
We let it chill and rest for a day and a half, and opened it Saturday night. Out of the fridge (too cold) it had a nose that reminded me of a Sauv Blanc. I didn’t get any fruit on the nose, but the wife got a hint of strawberry. Outside of that, both of us got astringent/chemical smells from the wine. I liked her description best: it smelled like the gardening aisle at a big box DIY store.
The wine had legs for days, and a dull, slightly peachy or brownish color.
We tasted it, and were rewarded with the same astringency we smelled. I got a strong undercurrent of red berries, but the wife did not. She likened it to floor varnish. I felt the taste buds on the back of my tongue swell in a way I’ve not noticed before, so I googled to confirm my suspicion that it was my bitter taste buds that were going absolutely crazy. I couldn’t taste bitter though, over the astringency.
I decided to try with food to see how it fared. Baby Swiss had no effect. Likewise Vintage Cheddar. I had a lot of cheese, thinking maybe it’d help cover some of the taste buds that were getting the bad sides of the wine. Nope.
I followed with sweet milk chocolate. This worked to cover the astringency, which had the net effect of strengthening the bitterness. C’est la vie.
So, I googled the wine. Someone online said it went great with chips and guac. I didn’t have avocados, so I went to chips and salsa. Pineapple habanero salsa did the trick; it became a decent experience after that, but only because the flavors covered up so much.
The wife and I are lovers of CdP rosé. We loved the Pedroncelli dry rosé of zin earlier this year, and were lukewarm on the OTP, to give you some idea of what we like for comparison purposes.
Ultimately, my wife’s take was “it’s just not pleasant”. For my part, I’d drink it if it was being served at a party with chips and salsa, but it’s not something I plan to buy (sorry).
My wife made a funny quip: the label says it pairs perfectly with good friends, rooftop parties, and happy hour at the beach. “Those are all places where you’re already drunk.”
As noted at the top of the review, our experience deviated so dramatically from the other Rats that I’d almost say you can disregard our feedback as an anomaly if you so choose.
Thanks for the opportunity to Rat, and sorry again for the late post!
@opiate2002 thank you for the honestly!
@CorTot with pleasure! I just wish I’d had a better experience to be honest with.
@CorTot @opiate2002 IT was cooked! not the wine… glad you were honest of course, but it’s honestly such a great wine!! DARN!
Darn!!! You need another bottle!!
@devereux Agreed; based on the notes above it seems like it might be something we’d enjoy under better circumstances. If I can pick up a bottle locally I’ll have another go.
@opiate2002 please do!!! Or perhaps I can send you a sample? my email is ian@smithdevereux.com and I’d happily replace the bottle just so you know how good it really is!
/giphy cynical-safe-sushi
/giphy cool-abiding-pleasure
@melrod333 That’s a happy rosé dance!
Hey y’all! I’m the founder and vintner at SMith Devereux so if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out! We’re a boutique Napa Valley Winery and every bottle makes a big difference so THANK YOU!
@devereux Received my case. This is truly one of the best Rose wines I have ever had.
Picked up a case. Taking a chance on regular shipping as I cannot stomach adding $40 for expedited. Not really looking to share but would be willing to part with a few.
/giphy fragile-narrow-mushroom
Hey, what do you know I got a shipping email and it hasn’t even been delivered yet!