Rosé kinda gets a bad rap that it doesn’t deserve. Somewhere between the White Zinfandel era and the “rosé all day” merch phase, a lot of people wrote it off as either too sweet or too basic. Which is a shame, because real rosé is crisp, complex, endlessly food-friendly, and one of the best summer beverages. It deserves a celebration. So we’re throwing one.
We’ve teamed up with Parcero Wine Bar for Rosé Fest on Saturday, July 11. It’s an open-house style tasting with 27 rosés from around the world, food, rosé cocktails, and rosé popsicles. If you’ve ever been to Parcero, you know Liana and her team have a gift for making wine feel approachable and exciting even if you don’t know a thing about it. She’s also created a space that draws fun, smart, friendly people.
“Our goal with Rosé Fest is simple,” Liana Duvall, owner of Parcero Wine Bar, said. “Pour delicious wines, bring great people together, and create an experience that feels like summer in a glass.”
What even is rosé?
Before we get into the event, let’s talk about what the heck rosé even is.
Rosé is not a blend of red and white wine, though a lot of people assume that. It’s actually its own winemaking style, and it can be made from almost any red grape variety.
Red wine gets its color from the grape skins. When you make red wine, the juice ferments in contact with those skins for days or even weeks, extracting all the color and tannin. Rosé is made the same way — with red grapes — but the skins are separated from the juice after just a few hours. The result is that gorgeous range of pink, from pale blush to deep coral.
The process is called maceration, and the winemaker controls the color and flavor intensity by deciding how long the skins stay in contact with the juice. Longer contact equals deeper color and more flavor. Short contact gives you those light, delicate pinks.
Rosé actually started with the ancient Greeks, who made light wines by pressing red grapes with minimal skin contact. The first grapevines were planted in Provence, France by the Greeks over 2,600 years ago, making Provence the oldest wine region in France and the cultural heart of rosé wine. For most of history, rosé wasn’t a “category,” it was just how wine was made before winemakers figured out how to make deep, dark reds. So in some ways, rosé is the OG.
The Romans considered rosé a drink for rich people. It was generally produced free-run and consumed fresh, and this drink-it-now style made it something that needed to be enjoyed in a timely manner.
In the US, rosé had a weird era reputation-wise thanks to sweet, candy-pink blush wines in the ’80s and ’90s. The #roseallday summers of the 2010s didn’t help either. But the modern rosé renaissance has seen a huge range of styles from dry to bubbly to fruit-forward. Today rosé is produced throughout France — from cooler climate rosé Champagnes and Loire Valley wines to the warm Mediterranean influence climates of Provence and the southern Rhône Valley. And beyond France, you’ll find excellent examples from Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and increasingly, right here in the American West.
Can you find Idaho rosé? You sure can. The Snake River Valley AVA is actually a solid place to grow the kinds of grapes that make great rosé: Tempranillo, Grenache, Syrah. We’re still building our rosé reputation here, but it’s coming. Some local rosés include Ste Chapelle’s Love Idaho Rosé, Huston Vineyards’ Rosé of Grenache and Chicken Dinner Rosé, Sawtooth Winery’s Classic Fly Pinot Noir Rosé, Koenig Vineyard’s Dry Rosé, Telaya’s Rosé, Scoria Vineyard’s Dry Rosé, and Rolling Hills’ Rosé of Sangiovese.
Rosé Fest on July 11
Rosé Fest at Parcero is an open-house style tasting, meaning there’s no rigid schedule, no assigned seats, no pressure. You just show up, get your commemorative glass, and start tasting. Over 27 rosés from around the world will be available to taste and you can go at your own pace. Linger on a bottle you love, skip the ones that don’t land for you, discover something totally unexpected – we don’t care! We just want you to have fun and enjoy the experience.
When selecting wines for the event, Liana wanted to go beyond the usual suspects. “We chose bottles that are fun to talk about, exciting to discover, and a great reminder that rosé comes in many different expressions beyond what most people are familiar with,” she said.
A few wines on the lineup worth knowing:
Breca Garnacha Rosado — Spain: A vibrant and expressive rosé bursting with ripe strawberry, cherry, and citrus notes. Slightly richer in style, it’s a perfect example of why Spain produces some of the most exciting rosés in the world.
Edoardo Miroglio Bio Rosé — Bulgaria: Fresh, bright, and organically farmed, this rosé offers notes of watermelon, red berries, and delicate florals. It’s a lively and refreshing wine that showcases the incredible quality coming from one of Europe’s most underrated wine regions.
Pikasi Rosé of Barbera — Slovenia: This playful rosé is packed with juicy raspberry, wild strawberry, and pink grapefruit flavors. It’s crisp, energetic, and exactly the kind of wine you want in your glass on a warm summer afternoon.
Mas de Valériole Méditerranée Rosé — Southern France: Elegant and effortlessly drinkable, this classic southern French rosé delivers fresh peach, citrus, and melon notes with a crisp, mineral finish. It’s sunshine, patio season, and summer gatherings all wrapped up in one glass.
Beyond the tasting, there’s a curated food menu from the Parcero kitchen, plus a food truck on-site. Rosé cocktails and rosé popsicles are also available. There’s also special event pricing on bottles to-go, so when you find your new favorite, you can take it home at a discount.
The details
Rosé Fest is at Parcero Wine Bar (3132 W Chinden Blvd, Garden City) on Saturday, July 11.
VIP tickets are $85. Only 25 available. Includes early entry from 1–2pm, a curated VIP gift, secret VIP pours, and an additional 15% off bottles to-go.
General Admission tickets are $49. Tasting access from 2–8pm, commemorative glass, and event pricing on all bottles purchased to go.
Food will be available for purchase. You’ll find a curated food menu from Parcero plus a food truck on site.
Tickets are limited and this event tends to sell out, so don’t wait. Door tickets are $60 if any are left. 21+ only. Buy tickets here!
Come for the wine, stay for the fun. See you there??
Thanks for reading!
With love from Boise,
Marissa
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