Pairing Abracadabra Rosé with Tuna-Watermelon Niçoise

If our baby beet and strawberry salad is the spring pairing for Abracadabra Rosé, this is the summer one.

Released in May of 2025, the newest Abracadabra Rosé pairs beautifully with Chef Nicholas Ames' tuna-watermelon niçoise. The Sangiovese-driven rosé carries vibrant notes of ripe strawberries, peaches, pears, and orange blossom, all of which mirror the fresh fruit and herbal elements in the salad. The sweet watermelon picks up the wine's red fruit. The briny olives play against its dry finish. The lemon-dressed greens echo its bright acidity. The seared tuna and the soft-boiled egg give the wine something rich enough to push against without overwhelming it.

Light, elegant, and built for warm-weather dining.

Tuna-Watermelon Niçoise

Recipe by Chef Nicholas Ames at Brian Carter Cellars. Reach out to the tasting room for the printable card.

Serves 4.

For the tuna

• 1 pound sushi-grade tuna loin, cut into two thick pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)

For the salad

• 4 cups baby gem lettuce or butter lettuce, torn
• 2 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup haricots verts, blanched and shocked
• 4 small new potatoes, boiled, cooled, and halved
• 4 eggs, jammy (about 7 minutes), peeled and halved
• 1/2 cup mixed olives (Kalamata, Niçoise, Castelvetrano), pitted
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced
• A handful of fresh basil and mint leaves

For the lemon vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Prepare the components ahead. Blanch the haricots verts in salted boiling water for 90 seconds, then shock in an ice bath. Boil the potatoes until just tender, about 10 to 12 minutes, then drain and cool. Cook the eggs in simmering water for 7 minutes for a jammy yolk, then shock and peel.
2. Make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, zest, garlic, Dijon, honey, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
3. Sear the tuna. Pat the tuna dry. Rub with olive oil and season generously with flaky salt, black pepper, and sesame seeds if using. Heat a heavy skillet over high heat until smoking. Sear the tuna for 45 to 60 seconds per side, including the edges, so the exterior is browned and the interior is rare. Transfer to a cutting board and rest 3 minutes. Slice against the grain into 1/4-inch slices.
4. Build the salad. On a large platter, arrange the lettuce as the base. Tuck in the watermelon, haricots verts, potatoes, halved eggs, olives, tomatoes, capers, and red onion in distinct sections.
5. Add the tuna. Fan the sliced tuna across the top of the salad.
6. Dress. Drizzle the vinaigrette generously over the entire salad. Do not toss. Niçoise is meant to be eaten section by section.
7. Finish with the basil and mint leaves. Serve immediately.

Tasting Notes for Abracadabra Rosé

The current vintage of Abracadabra Rosé opens with ripe strawberry, peach, and pear, lifted by an orange-blossom aromatic that comes from the variety mix. The mid-palate has weight from the saignée fraction (about 25 percent of the wine), and the finish is dry and clean.

Serve at 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit in a tulip-shaped glass. Pull the bottle from the fridge 15 minutes before opening.

This is the rosé we are pouring on the patio all summer.

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