Summer may be prime rosé season, but why relegate this delicious, versatile pink juice to a mere few months when you can enjoy it year-round? The variety of grapes from which rosé is made—syrah, grenache, tempranillo, merlot, pinot noir, Sangiovese and many more—allows for a choice of styles from crisp and dry to fruit-forward and creamy. These are nine rosés from around the world for all-year drinking. Erin Scala, the owner of wine shop In Vino Veritas outside of Charlottesville, Va., and a contributor to the I’ll Drink to That podcast offers her ideas for tasty food pairings to accompany each bottle.
Dominio Del Rey Rose Wine
Domino Del Rey Sparkling Rosé Wine is an elegant effervescent wine that is designed specifically for hotter climates. Unlike most wines, Domino Del Rey Sparkling Rosé Wine is engineered to drink with ice. This Sparkling Wine is produced in the Valdepenas region of Spain which is made by blending the white Airon grape with the red Cencibel grape to produce this remarkable Sparkling Rosé. It is a pale petal pink wine that boasts floral notes and zesty summer fruits. It has a light elegant aroma and a smooth strawberry finish.
Bedrock Ode to Lulu
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This juicy fuller-bodied yet light wine comprises a blend of grenache and Mataro (aka Mourvedre), both old vines dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. The result: a fantastic rosé that Scala calls “American history in a bottle.”
Cavalchina Bardolino Chiaretto
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If you love rosé from Provence, you need to discover Chiaretto. This dry Italian wine from Italy’s northern Lake Garda region has lovely versatility and comes at a fraction of the price of the French wine. It’s made from the same grapes as Valpolicella—Corvina, Rondinella, and molinara—so it can pack some heft but also has crispness with lovely complexity. Here, you’ll find strawberry, tropical notes, nice acid, and a long finish.
Chêne Bleu Le Rosé
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Often, many drinkers hope to pay around $12 for a bottle of rosé. When you’re looking for a more elevated experience without truly breaking the bank, drink this. Made mostly from higher-elevation grenache in the southern Rhone, it drinks on par with top-rated Provençal rosés, so think of it as a high-end value. It’s rich and intense, offering some floral notes along with lime, grapefruit, and currants while remaining balanced and fresh.
Chronic Cellars Pink Pedals
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Despite Chronic Cellars’ stoner vibe presented on its labels, it makes some kick-ass wines. The Pink Pedals is no exception. Don’t be put off by the orange-pink hue. It leads to a lush mouthfeel with hints of dark chocolate, compote, cinnamon apple spice and strawberry.
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If you’re looking for a unique expression with body, texture, and layers of flavor, grab this bottle. It’s aged for a year on the lees in foudres (large wooden vats) to concentrate the flavors: red currant, citrus peel, spice and more that, if left to age, will only improve.
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A fantastic wine from one of Greece’s best-known winemakers, the Peplo blends syrah with two native grapes—agirogitiko, which is aged in acacia wood barrels, and mavrofilero, which is macerated in amphora—resulting in this medium-bodied wine with a nose of white flowers and something akin to candied watermelon. In the mouth, you’ll pick up peach, basil and perhaps even some tarragon, all backed by great structure.
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This tempranillo rosé surprises with an array of flavors, including red fruit, citrus, green herbs, and white pepper. It has a creamy mouthfeel and nice spiciness, allowing it to pair well with a variety of food.
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When it comes to accessible wines, La Crema should be at the top of your list. While it’s often found at supermarkets, don’t write it off as mere “supermarket wine.” La Crema, now in its 40th year, claims some really fabulous cold-climate pinot noir wines, and if you ever visit its Sonoma tasting rooms, you’ll find an array of exclusive bottles, like the Saralee’s Vineyard rosé. Until then, go ahead and grab this very drinkable pinot noir Monterey rosé, with hints of watermelon, strawberry, cherry, citrus, and blood orange and with a zesty minerality that renders it complementary to many types of food.
Scala’s pairing: “Thai takeout! I love any curry dish, and peanut lettuce rolls and sticky mango and rice are perfect. La Crema is rich, and you want something with a little heat.”
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If you like pinot noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley and you like rosé, you’re going to love this wine. It’s spicy, tart and a little tangy, like pink grapefruit, with a rounded mouthfeel and notes of currant, orange zest, and raspberry. This one is a keeper—at least until you drink it all.
Scala’s pairing: “It’s gotta be bacon! You get spicy, sweet, tangy from the rosé, and then pair it with anything bacon, you get this smoky, earthy meatiness from the bacon, which evokes barbecue.”
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