Fleming Jenkins Vineyards & Winery

Winemaker Greg Jenkins and his lovely wife Peggy Fleming, (yes, the Olympic Gold medalist of 1968), operate their winery out of their hometown of Los Gatos, where Greg has a medical practice. This Doctor/winemaker thing is no fluke. Peggy, on the 30th anniversary of her Olympic victory in 1998, discovered she had breast cancer. She took it on as her second Olympics, and as she puts it, was fortunate enough to be granted a second great victory. Now it was time to show gratitude for her recovery and raise awareness for this increasingly prevalent disease. With some Syrah fruit from Livermore, they decided to make a rosé that could be used as a fundraiser for breast cancer research. The Victories Rosé was developed to support charities supporting the cause, with 100% of the net profits after taxes going to The Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University and The V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Now to the wine, which cuts as nice a figure as Peggy ever did, with at least as much style. It’s a nicely bodied rosé, with beautiful color, and aromas of spice and roses. It’s delightfully rich yet delicate, with flavors of strawberries and apricots. The acid is firm and lovely, like a really great sit-spin. And the finish is rewarding and long, with flavors of guava and watermelon. It’s highly reminiscent of a beautiful arabesque that seems to float on forever.

This wine is a beautiful reminder of how fragile and delicate we are, and how strong and resilient we can be, especially when we have to be. We probably all know someone who has or had breast cancer: buying this wine can make us feel good all over, as we honor victims past, help those who are battling the disease today, and hopefully, significantly reduce the number of our sisters who are forced to face it in the future.

(Alc: 14.2%, Retail: $20)

Reviewed October 12, 2006 by Laura Ness.