I was eating dinner with several wine writers from around the country, and the unanimous choice for the first bottle of wine was a dry rosé from Spain.

Longtime wine drinkers remember what passed in the U.S. as rosé wines in the 1960s and 1970s — Mateus and Lancers, imports which were somewhat sweet and slightly sparkling pink wines.

Although Americans probably associate Italy more with red wines than any other — at least until pinot grigio became so popular — many regions of Italy produced mostly whites, and at least two traditionally made and drank a lot of rosé.

The silver anniversary edition of the Home Winemakers Classic was not only well attended, it also featured a number of outstanding wines from dedicated northern California garagistas.

The wine folks in Sonoma County sure know how to throw a party.

Gary Galleron has been appointed full-time winemaker for Bourassa Vineyards in Napa Valley. Galleron has been a consulting winemaker for Bourassa since 2004 and has worked in the past for such wineries as Grgich Hills, Whitehall Lane, Grace Family, Hartwell, Vineyard 29 and Seavey.

With twice the amount of property required by county regulations, Dr. Marc Cohen thought building a winery on Howell Mountain would be a snap.