Nova Place goes pink with first-ever Rosé All Day PGH festival

Grace Miller enjoys a good craft beer, so much so that she and her husband, Marc Turic, created the annual Beers of the Burgh Festival to spotlight the region’s breweries.

But her taste also expands to other beverages, specifically wine.
“I’m a craft beer drinker, but I do really appreciate a good rosé, especially during the summer,” says Miller.

That’s why she launched Rosé All Day PGH, a new festival all about the pink varietal. Taking place on Sat., Aug. 3 at Nova Place in the North Side, the event will feature over 20 wineries, both local and national, as well as rosé-inspired craft beers, ciders, and cocktails from a variety of breweries, distilleries, and restaurants.

Miller credits some of the inspiration for Rosé All Day PGH to visiting Los Angeles, where she noticed the city’s penchant for “big, fancy rosé picnics.” She wanted to bring the idea to Pittsburgh as a way to make wine more accessible.

“Rosé is just kind of a fun thing to get behind,” says Miller. “In Pittsburgh, we have wine festivals, but they tend to be a little more serious, more for a connoisseur or collector of wine, as opposed to the casual drinker.”

Not quite a red or white, rosé comes from incorporating a small amount of color from grape skins, and are typically a by-product of producing red wine. While the wine has been overlooked as a less refined choice compared its darker or lighter counterparts, it has grown in popularity over the years, with bars now selling refreshing, frozen rosé drinks called Frosé.

Miller has also noticed rosé gaining more coverage in magazines like Food & Wine and Bon Appétit as a wine pairing for certain foods, which led her to discover just how much it has to offer.

“I didn’t realize for a long time that there are so many different styles of rosé,” says Miller. “I thought there was light and dark and sweet and dry, but there are so many different kinds.”

She sees the festival as a chance for guests to try different rosés and find a kind they like.

The festival will also give back to the community as a fundraiser for the North Side arts nonprofit City of Asylum, which will receive a portion of profits from the event.

Miller says partnering with City of Asylum seemed like a natural fit, as the venue often hosts wine-friendly events like live jazz. The nonprofit even introduced them to musician Yoko Suzuki, who will be performing at the festival.

“They do such incredible work and we’re excited about the opportunity to share what they’re doing,” says Miller, adding that the festival will also allow City of Asylum to promote its 15th-anniversary programming.

With so many different offerings at the inaugural festival, including from local favorites like Wigle Whiskey, Threadbare Cider House, and The Pennsylvania Market, Miller hopes to gauge local interest in something so niche.

“I’m curious to see what draws the most people and how we can turn this into a bigger, more fun event next year,” says Miller.