Rose Hill, Dial Toad 2023

55% Gewürztraminer, 45% Chardonnay

New York, USA

Composition and harvest location: Gewürztraminer from RGNY (Riverhead, NY) and Chardonnay from Macari Vineyards (Mattituck, NY).

Production notes: Half foot-tread and half whole cluster Gewürztraminer was fermented semi-carbonically for 10 days before pressing. The Chardonnay was picked a week later and direct pressed before blending with the pressed Gewürztraminer. VEGAN, NO ADDED SULFUR.

Tasting notes: Scan the code to dial the toad and listen to voicemail messages left by the toad’s friends. Notes of white peach tea and rosewater. A complex, conversation-starting wine. Serve chilled in a wine glass.

Sam Rogers is the head winemaker at Rose Hill Ferments, focused on making high quality, low intervention wine and cider that often blurs the line between the two. All of their creations utilize only estate grown, wild foraged and/or locally sourced NY State fruit from like-minded farmers. Apples, pears, grapes, plums, cherries, currants, blueberries and quince are just a few of the things you’ll find them fermenting in the cellar, using natural and traditional methods.  

Sam relocated from the Bay Area in California in 2024, where they had been working in wine for seven years. Their wide range of experience includes fine dining, wholesale sales, beverage education, and production. Sam trained in viticulture and vinification in France, Germany, Oregon, and California with a focus on organics and low-intervention winemaking. They quickly became an invaluable member of the Rose Hill team.

Rose Hill is a Family-owned pick-your-own orchard in Red Hook, dating back to 1798. In addition to apples, grow cherries, blueberries, peaches, plums, apricots and strawberries, as well as flowers (sunflowers, zinnias and cosmos) on over 100 acres of picturesque farmland. They embrace holistic, bio-intensive growing practices that focus on plant and soil health so that the fruits produced are the healthiest and most flavorful they can be. Rose Hill ferments was created in January 2020. They produce a range of wine, cider and co-fermented fruit wines.