Burle Rosé In The House

I'm generally not the sort to post so-called "haul videos," but this is one I'm particularly excited about, considering it's time for rosés to appear in the wine rotation. It's from my favorite French winery, Vignoble Edmond Burle, in Gigondas, France, known for their rustic Côtes de Rhone wines.

The box rosé is brought into the Northwest in very limited supply, and it has the deep pink color and richness of body that goes so well with smoky, grilled meats (and paella), while remaining dry enough to enjoy with snacks in the back yard. All that's needed now is for the sun to come back and I'll be all set for summer!

Rosé Dinners at Castagna!

Traditions are all a matter of perspective. They can be constraining, like having tuna casserole for dinner every Friday night of your life, or they can be affirming of the ongoing nature of life and its cycles. One recent tradition we've enjoyed is the yearly series of rosé dinners that Monique and Kevin host each summer at Castagna Restaurant on Hawthorne.

Like last year, this summer they're doing a series of four casual, family-style regional dinners arranged around our favorite summer wines. Each dinner includes three courses and two glasses of rose for $45, a steal at any price. And from the dinners we went to last year, each course is packed with great food, and those two glasses seem to be refilled at least once.

The schedule this year is drool-worthy and features:

• July 18 Loire Valley: Cider-cured pork loin cooked in hay with André Neveu Sancerre Pinot noir 2006 and Lucien Crochet Sancerre Pinot noir 2006.

• Aug. 1 Provence: Grand Aioli dinner of garlic-centric dishes with Commanderie de Peyrassol 2006 and Chateau Miraval 2006.

• Aug. 15 Bandol: Bouillabaisse with Chateau Pradeaux 2006 and Domaine de Terrebrune 2006.

• Aug. 29 Cassis: Roast Bronzini with Clos Sainte Magdelaine 2006 and Domaine du Bagnol 2006.

Make your reservations now to guarantee a seat. If you've been looking for a reason to move from the café side of the wall to the restaurant, this is a fantastic excuse to do it!

Details: Castagna Restaurant, 1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd. at the corner of 18th. Phone 503-231-7373 for reservations.

Rosé Dinners at Castagna

Our favorite restaurant in Portland, Castagna, is doing a series of rosé dinners on Wednesday nights this summer, each with a different regional focus. We attended the first dinner on July 19, which featured a white and two rosés from Spain and a three-course family-style dinner. It got off to a promising start with four, count 'em four, tapas-style appetizers (crostini with fresh anchovies, Senor Kevin's amazing devilled eggs, fried shrimp croquettes and mussels in a saffron broth).

These were followed by amazingly luscious lamb chops with a stunningly good romesco for dipping (one of our dinner-mates referred to these as "lamb lollipops"), roasted fingerlings fresh from the farmers' market and haricots verts with Spanish prosciutto. Followed by fresh raspberries and blackberries topped with a cloud of whipped cream. Talk about heaven!

They're saying the ridiculously inexpensive price of $40 includes three courses and two glasses of wine, but I'm here to tell you the servers were sure not keeping track at our table. The three remaining dinners in the series are:

• Aug. 2: Rosés from the Cotes du Rhone featuring roast strip loin of beef with black olives with wine from Segries Tavel and Campagnol Costieres de Nimes.
• Aug. 16: Rosés from Provencal featuring a Grand Aioli dinner and wines from Commanderie de la Bargemone and Chateau Miraval.
• Aug. 30: Rosés from Bandol with bouillabaise in two courses with wines from Pradeaux and Mas de la Rouviere.

Details: Castagna, 752 SE Hawthorne Blvd. (corner of 18th); Phone 503-231-7373 for reservations.