3 Good Rosés with Chuck Kanski of Solo Vino

Photo by Aaron Davidson

The premier wine tasting event of the season is Sunday, May 15, and this year it’s bigger and better than ever.

“We have some people from out of state that even fly back for this event every year,” says Chuck Kanski of Solo Vino (pictured, below). “It’s all about having fun in the sun, and celebrating a great vintage.”

Chuck Kanski of Solo Vino // Photo by Aaron Davidson

Kanski is gearing up for his 8th Annual Rosé Tent Tasting—an event that’s come to mark the beginning of summer wine drinking in the Twin Cities. It’s become so popular that it could no longer be contained in Solo Vino’s parking lot. This year, the tent is moving one block down Selby to the parking lot of the St. Paul Curling Club.

“We’re going from about 4,000 square feet in our parking lot to 17,000 square feet,” says Kanski. “We’ll have over 100 dry Mediterranean-style rosés, a couple dozen summertime whites, a dozen light-bodied reds, and a handful of artisan ciders.”

Also new this year, the sausages will be provided by Eric Sather from Lowry Hill Meats, who will be manning the grills with Jason Ross (Le Cordon Bleu) and Matt McArthur (Cheeky Monkey Deli). They’ll also have fruit, cheese, and veggies on hand to snack on while you taste through more rosés than you’ve ever seen opened at once.

Photo by Aaron Davidson

“2015 is a tremendous vintage, both foreign and domestic,” says Kanski. “We haven’t seen a French rosé vintage like this since probably 2010.”

The event will also help support the Ramsey Hill Association Community Partnership Fund. You should get your tickets online in advance, though some will available at the door as well (cash or check only).

Solo Vino will have about 160 roses featured in the shop over the course of the season—their biggest haul of rosé to date. Here are three of our favorites that will satisfy all of your summer drinking needs:

La Vieille Ferme 2015 Rosé ($8.99)

Photo by Aaron Davidson

“Just a splash of juiciness—not fruity, not dry—juicy. That’s the go-to rose for anything spicy. If you’re going to spice it up, if you like tons of garlic in your guacamole, or have a favorite four-alarm barbecue sauce, you put the heat out with fruit. And that’s without a doubt the most consistent product we’ve seen the last dozen years. And it comes in box form, too.”

Le Charmel 2015 Côtes de Provence Rosé ($15.99)

Photo by Aaron Davidson

“Classic Provençal rosé. Cinsault-based with a splash of vermentino. The Provençal rosés continue to climb towards an average $20 price point. To have a good one in like this in the teens is amazing.”