Spring is here, and per the wine drinking cliche—one we happen to fine pretty compelling—it's time to crack open some pink wine. Frankly, Rosé is good just about any time of the year (there are even bigger winter Rosé wines), but there is something extra punctual about the wine as everything is in bloom and floral notes take over the air.
The list below is made up of wines that really moved us. From bargains to game-changers, bottom shelf options to sophisticated releases, there's something for everyone. If there's a universal theme, it's quality. Frankly, there's too much great wine out there to be settling for mediocre.
Pink wines are adventurous. They want to come with you when you hit the beach or spread that picnic blanket at the park. They want to join you for your Friday night pizza parties and mingle with you and your friends on the deck.
Read on for the 20 best Rose wines to enjoy this spring and beyond.
Best Overall
The Walls Cruel Summer Rosé
This Walla Walla wine is made of primarily Grenache. You may recognize the artwork on the label as it's the work of a longtime New Yorker artist. You get the cool factor of a great label and an excellent wine as frosting on the cake. Speaking of, the wine offers grapefruit and lychee and a remarkable texture. While the label is based in Walla Walla, the fruit for this wine comes from the Columbia Valley AVA. It's so dialed-in we want to buy it by the case.
Best Value
Stoller Pinot Noir Rosé
A model citizen among the Pinot Noir Rosé, this excellent offering hails from Willamette Valley wine country. Think just-picked strawberry notes with melon rind and a juicy mouthfeel. We could stare at the persimmon-colored wine for days. All that fresh fruit on the palate goes exceptionally well with things like chicken salas and smoked salmon. If you're just getting into American pink wine, this is a great introduction.
Best for the Beach
Thierry Veron Rosé
A delicious example from Sancerre, this wine shows sunny tropical notes with a slight hit of pepper. Enjoy it solo or with some prosciutto-wrapped melon. It shows the real energy Loire Valley Pinot Noir can have. The region may be most known for its impressive Sauvignon Blancs but the pink wines are stunners too. Pack this one with you on the way to the beach.
Best Amphora
Rosado de Padilla
You say Rosé, I say Rosado. This Spanish wine is aged in amphora and offers nice minerality along with a touch of umami. Try it with grilled vegetables or a big heaping plate of paella. Try this one out on your friend who think pink wine can't be complex. They'll be eating their words (and sipping a head-turning wine).
Best Chinon
Olga Raffault Rosé
The French know Rosé well and this is a great indicator. It's made from Cabernet Franc and shows grassy notes with some wild berry aspects. It comes from Chinon and is made with native yeast. There's an invigorating, pucker-inducing quality to this wine we simply can't get enough of. Like spring, it feels alive and bursting with energy.
Best Canned
Dear Mom Rosé
A canned option from Oregon, this wine has a lot of zest to it. You get an abundance of fresh berry notes and a persistent acidity. It's a great one to throw in the cooler on the way to a campout or picnic. We like the fact that this wine shows the softer side of bigger red grapes like Malbec an Syrah. Oh, and it packs oh so well for those impromptu outdoor adventures.
Best Provence
Chateau Gassier Rosé
A prime Rosé from one of its most iconic stomping grounds in Provence, the Gassier is bone dry and teeming with flavor. Go full Mediterranean and have it at the beach, with some tinned fish and a loaf of crusty bread. It's an example of a simple Rosé that's still super compelling. And it goes with just about any kind of food you can throw at it.
Best Inexpensive French
Jean-Luc Colombo Cape Bleu Rosé
We're not joking about the quality of Provence pink wine. About the only thing that can go wrong there is pink wine that's perhaps a little one-dimensional (but even those are still quite drinkable). This one has some nice depth, especially weighed against the price point. Say hello to your new favorite brunch wine that you can buy in bulk without doubt.
Best Alpine
Ingrid Groiss Rosé
Hailing from Austria, this pink wine offers a tender pink hue and lemony freshness. A little more delicate and soft, it's fun to sip leisurely as it opens up in the glass. Made of Pinot Noir and Zweigelt, the wine really emphasizes the resident chalk soils. In the glass, it reminds of a brisk hike into the alps in spring, with wildfloers all around.
Best Bandol
Hecht & Bannier Bandol Rosé
Another French Rosé wine region worth knowing is Bandol. It's a warm, coastal region along France's southern stretches, home to palm trees and fresh seafood. Alive and clean, the wine is made entirely in stainless steel and a combo of Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Cinsault. Many wine pros think this is the best place on the planet for pink wine and it's hard to disagree after a sip of this tasty number.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cost By and large, Rosé should be moderately priced. Bottles tend to fun anywhere from $10-$30. Anything above that ought to be pretty special or from a really unique wine region.
Dry or Sweet Most Rosé is dry, with an increasing number being fully or bone dry. You. can typically find this info on the back of the label. If not, chat up your steward or search online for a quick breakdown.
Region Great Rosé is coming from every corner of the wine map these days. That said, the region is more likely to dictate the varietals involved than quality or style.
Vintage Rosé does not age as long as most red wines and most of us are looking for a wine that's bright and vibrant, which tends to be new. In other words, look for recent vintages.
We took a combination of routes in choosing these wines. Most were tasted firsthand, while others come from industry suggestions and trusted sources. We also paid some attention to critical acclaim and professional reviews.
Some of our staff have winemaking backgrounds, having worked many harvests, labored in tasting rooms, and tasted through many wines. We try to rely on them in evaluating and placng wines.
The Manual has been doing this for years and has become an established source for useful reviews. The writer of this story has nearly two decades of experience in the wine industry and penned stories for a number of trade outlets. In creating this feature, our goal was to showcase the best pink wines across a large section, partly to showcase just how versatile the style is but also expose our readers to something interesting and new.
There are countless reasons to enjoy Rose, the main one being that they offer tremendous flavor profiles. These wines also pair with food well, can be made from a number of intriguing grape varieties, drink well during the warmer months, and offer complexity and finesse, all at once.
Just remember not to over-chill these wines. A bit cool is fine, but if you keep them in the fridge, pull them out and let them rest for 15-20 minutes before cracking. You'll get more aromatically and flavor-wise out of the wine. We'll make an exception if it's a really inexpensive Rosé or it's a scorching August evening.
