Onward Pinot Noir Rosé Pétillant Naturel

A lot of my friends have a fantasy of what my visits to wineries are like.

They imagine me at a dining table surrounded by rolling hills of lush vineyards. The winemaker serves me glass after glass of gorgeous wine, with course after course of delicious food. There’s white table linen, nice cutlery, fine china. There’s clever conversation late into the night. It’s urbane. It’s serene. It’s dreamy. Sublime.

It ain't like that.

I tell those friends about my first visit to Faith Armstrong at Onward Wines. I’m at an old, backyard picnic table. There’s a yapping dog, four boisterous children, and a lot of clucking chickens. Faith unaffectedly passes me bottle after bottle of her wines while she looks after her family and sees to the daily affairs of her winery. It’s loud. It’s messy. It’s chaotic. And, actually, it’s sublime.

A visit to Faith and Onward Wines is so sublime because her wines embody who she is. She’s spirited, joyful, enchanting, intelligent, and honest. And more than any of her wines, Onward Pétillant Naturel Pinot Noir Rosé reminds me of Faith.

“Making this wine is an emotional journey which is truly about passion,” Faith says. She makes her Pétillant Naturel from Pinto Noir grape because of its aromas and acidity. She makes her Pét Nat with the Pinot Noir Rosé from Capp Inn Ranch because of the vineyard’s pristine grapes, which its growers cultivate biodynamically. Faith ferments the juice from the Capp Inn Ranch grapes with their native yeasts. She doesn’t foul her Pét Nat with sugar or cane juice. 

“I make it because I love it so,” says Faith about her Pétillant Naturel Pinot Noir Rosé, “and every year she teaches me something new.” Faith refers to all her wines as women. That’s part of who she is. That’s the energy of her wonderful spirit. Faith says, “This wine is here to help us celebrate life and its everyday treasures and joys!

Onward Pétillant Naturel is floral and fruity, but also refreshing and dry. It’s blooming jasmine, citrus blossom, warm Kaffir lime, and preserved lemon. It has a hint of sea air and soft, tiny, delicate bubbles. “This is a pure expression of sparkling wine,” says Faith, “and she, my friends, is a spirited lady!”

Onward Pétillant Naturel Pinot Noir Rosé captures Faith’s beautiful spirit. Selflessly, may I recommend that you order more than one?