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78 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 As our Loire rosé expedition moved westward, it only made sense that its second port of call would be Los Angeles. With an estimated 300 days a year of legiti- mate sunshine, the City of Angels is the perfect place to sip rosé year round. To prove this point, we amassed a group of intrepid somms, buyers and restaurateurs at République on La Brea, where Wine Director and General Manager Taylor Parsons lead us through his Loire rosé pairings with Walter Manzke's spot-on, delicious French fare. As Parsons joined us in the swirl and sip, he notes that rosé produc- tion is moving away from being typecast as merely a "leftover" byproduct of red wine making. "[In France] rosé is still more about making a 'rosé' than about the cépage," explained Parsons, but with appreciation for pink wines gaining momentum in the United States, winemakers, both domestic and international, are focusing on the production of rosé as a valu- able and thoughtfully focused part of their winemaking portfolio. While everyone had their favorite pairings (see a selection of notes from the Los Angeles tasting below), the consensus stands that these versatile and serious wines deserve a year round place any intelligent wine list. LOIRE ROSÉ DAZZLES LOS ANGELES A birds-eye view of our Los Angeles luncheon at République. Rendezvous by Karen Moneymaker / photos by Adam James in L.A. Taylor Parsons of République discusses his pairing choices with Michael Shearin, Area Manager for Epic Wines (left) and Brad Stewart, Assistant General Manager/ Sommelier at Riva Bella and Innovative Dining Group (right). Renee-Nicole Kubin, of Larry Ellison's Malibu restaurant, and Jeff Anderson, Beverage Director of Craft. Mary Thompson, General Manager of Saint Martha Restaurant, and Michael Shearin debating their favorite rosés of the tasting.