Wine of the Week: Francis Ford Coppola’s Rosso

Francis Ford Coppola, the Academy Award-winning director turned vintner, has come full circle. He grew up with plenty of homemade wine on his table and now, with his winemaking team, is behind our wine-of-the-week winner - Rosso, 2014 California Red Blend at $12.

This blend is juicy, with a tap dance of spice. It’s a blend of zinfandel, syrah, cabernet sauvignon and petite sirah, all of which play a role in giving this zesty, structured red a big personality. The wine has notes of cherry, plum and smoke. It’s edgy.

Coppola is appealing to the everyday wine drinker with this budget-savvy red, one reminiscent of his childhood. The vintner’s grandfather had grapes shipped in from California by train and made wine in the basement of his New York apartment.

As the story goes, when Coppola’s uncles were young they lowered each other by rope down into the cellar to steal grapes they could eat. One time their father discovered them in the act, and Uncle Mikey ended up in the grapes.

Coppola’s stories resonate with associate winemaker Evan Schiff because he also grew up with plenty of wine on his table. Schiff, 37, crafts Rosso to be the ultimate table wine, a simple companion for diners.

“Our style of red wine is fruit forward and has proper acidity to pair with food,” Schiff said. “This wine is intended to be enjoyed with a wide range of foods. We layer in oak, so it’s in the background and doesn’t mask the intense fruit characteristics of the grapes.”

Schiff went to UC Davis and graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Viticulture and Enology. In 2004 he graduated with a Master’s degree in Horticulture and Agronomy, also from UC Davis. Schiff’s first vintage with the Coppola winery was 2005.

Schiff said Rosso benefits from the grapes sourced by the Geyserville winery to use in the blend.

“This wine is built from the ground up, meaning the vineyards we select are known to produce a consistently high level of quality and to showcase fruit intensity,” Schiff said. “Our red blend stands out against the competition because it is so fruit forward. Once the grapes are harvested, the wines are blended early in the year. Next, we use the appropriate amount of oak to achieve a fruit to oak balance, which makes Rosso pop out of the glass.”