Sonoma Time Rosé was crafted with a vision to unite Sonoma County growers in creating a distinguished American wine with a French Provencal twist. This unique rosé brings the best of both worlds, showcasing the exceptional quality of Sonoma vineyards while offering a refined, elegant flavor profile reminiscent of the French countryside. At the forefront of this initiative is the owner of Times Ten Cellars, Kert Platner, who pioneered Dallas’ first urban winery and wine bar, ensuring this rosé is accessible and celebrated for its unique character and value.
I had a chance to sit down with Kert and his partner Rob Wilson, the owners of Times Ten Cellars, and the guys behind Sonoma Time Wine.com. Times Ten Cellars originally was a post office building, was re-modeled, opened in 2005 and sourced grapes from vineyards in California and Texas.
Sometimes the Texas community is small and Jack Seifrick, Jack Seifrick, Owner of CAST winery, also served as one of the instrumental folks that encouraged Kert to move forward. You see, Times Ten Cellars serves as a place where Texas customers for CAST can pick up their wine shipments. And then the world gets smaller. The Consulting Winemaker is Ashley Herzberg, who works as the winemaker for CAST Winery. She worked with Kert and Rob to craft an American-made rosé made in a Provencal style. The wine is half Zinfandel and half Pinot Noir. It was bottled in March and is in soft launch mode with a scheduled June launch date.
Kert describes the most important tasting with Jack in Telluride where they sampled the wine. “It was bright and beautiful,” he said. “We knew as rosé lovers the French style we were trying to capture while maintaining the character of Sonoma.”
He told me his vision of Sonoma Time. “It is best when shared with friends and family. It is perfectly suitable for all occasions and it’s a great wine for Texas.” I tasted lots of red fruit, citrus, grapefruit, melon, lavender and rose petals. And it was just rated 94 at the American Fine Wine Rosé Competition this year.
In 2004, prior to the opening of Times Ten Cellars, they planted a 10-acre vineyard 20 miles South of Alpine, Texas, and originally bottled their own wine. Today Cathedral Mountain Vineyards has evolved to a grape grower selling Tempranillo, Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Mourvèdre
“We had amazing fruit, but it was an eight-hour commute to make wines and over time was cost prohibitive. Today we sell those grapes to some of Texas’ top wineries,” he said.
We talked more about the brand and how it continues to evolve. It was important to make it simple and focused on a French-influenced American rosé. “Sonoma Times reflects the important influence of Sonoma grapes, and the word “time” reflects our heritage of Times Ten Cellars.
Sonoma Time Rosé exemplifies the blend of American innovation and French elegance, representing a significant collaboration between Sonoma County growers and the pioneering spirit of Times Ten Cellars. Crafted by Kert Platner and Rob Wilson, with the expertise of winemaker Ashley Herzberg, this rosé is a testament to bringing together the beauty of France and Sonoma. The wine brings a touch of Provençal sophistication to American wine but also fosters a sense of community and shared passion.
