By now, you’ve undoubtedly heard the news that ‘Rosé All Day’ is the pink wine way of the future. And that looking at the world through rosé-tinted glasses, or at least clinking ‘cheers’ with them, is a year-round celebration. At least, you’d be hard-pressed to imagine it any other way if you spend enough time combing the #roseallday hashtag on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.
But Millennial influencers and social media mavens aside, winemakers have been elevating their rosé game to produce an array of styles of pink wine that range from delicate, and sweetly-fruited examples to those with darker colors, ample weight, and layers of more decadent flavors, or that embrace a savory and distinct mineral lift, even kissed by salty sea-spray notes.
In honor of National Rosé Day, we’re spotlighting our favorite pink wines while highlighting their versatility. Keep reading to level up your rosé skills and find a new favorite pairing.
Napa
Foley Johnson 2021 Handmade Rose
Trying to decide on the best rosé to buy (while staring at a computer screen) can be challenging. So, consider this approach: look to see whether it’s a blend or single-varietal rosé because, like any other wine, the type of varietal or percentage of a blend impacts the color, texture, and flavor of the overall wine. Merlot fans—this rosé is comprised entirely of Merlot, aged in stainless steel, so it harbors those beautiful red-fruit notes that Merlot is known for, like plums, strawberries, raspberry, and cranberry. It’s all there, with pops of citrus, and is your best pairing for salads loaded with spring vegetables like English peas, radishes, and grilled asparagus al-dente.
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Kuleto Estate 2019 Estate Rosato
Rosé can be made with any red wine grape globally, making it versatile when it comes to food pairings. It’s less a question of if a bottle of rosé can pair with food and more a question of which rosé will pair with a particular food. Consider seeking out rosé made with the same grape as your favorite red wine, so, in the case of this Kuleto Estate, Zinfandel is center stage. Produced in the Saignée method, a portion of the juice is siphoned off of just-crushed, newly fermenting grape juice that will eventually become a full-bodied red. The juice that is “bled” off becomes this version of rosé with a rich, creamy mouthfeel and sweet red berry flavors accented with orange blossoms. Less than 10 barrels were produced!
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Sonoma
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Banshee 2021 Sonoma County Rosé
While the last two pink wines were driven by a single grape variety, this Banshee rendition is an aromatic blend, leading with Pinot Noir, and Sangiovese, and includes splashes of Syrah, Black Muscat, Carignan, Muscat, and Zinfandel. And it’s a lighter style, featuring a bright, dry, and crisp wine just oozing with aromatic strawberry, tropical fruit, and hints of Meyer lemon, accented with a mineral streak, all atop a relatively soft mouthfeel. There’s so much going on in this bottle, and it might take experiencing it two at a time just to figure it all out! It’s your ideal pairing companion for fish and chicken dishes or cheese and fruit platters.
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Ferrari-Carano 2021 Dry Sangiovese Rosé Sonoma County
Have you ever picked a bottle of wine because of the color? Here’s that middle-of-the-road, Goldilocks rosé—a 90-point stunner that’s not too light, not too dark, but right in between. And it’s calling for full pours and plates of tacos or your favorite burger and fries. Mostly Alexander Valley grapes have been sacrificed to produce a lively, dry, crisp wine with tangy cranberry, watermelon, pomegranate, and vivid acidity, meaning it will cut through the fat of those carnitas tacos or burger and fries. Hungry yet?
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Foley Sonoma 2021 Winemaker Series Rosé Of Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
For those with a pool, or near a pool, or heading to a pool party, or thinking about installing a pool—this is your wine. The label alone—featuring the hillside “Redwood Block” of Pinot Noir vines plucked for this wine—is worth the price of admission. It offers the view you’d like to have while hanging on the side of a pool, sipping a Frenchy-style pink with elegant floral notes, red berry fruit, grapefruit zest, and even white peach notes. It’s that kind of wine for that kind of afternoon. And only six and a half barrels were made, so we’re talking limited quantities. If you’re in the area on Saturday, June 11, join us for our 2021 Rosé Release party, where you can enjoy beautiful views of our estate vineyards, and capture the beauty with your own watercolor masterpiece.
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Roth Estate 2020 Roth Reserve Rosé of Malbec, Russian River Valley
The Russian River Valley is known for its deep, dark, brooding, and delicious California Pinot Noirs and remarkable Chardonnays. But we’ve sourced some pristine Malbec fruit to offer a royally unique expression of this grape that leads with bright aromas of strawberry, citrus, and rose petals. Soft, round, and plush berry fruit lingers on the palate, finishing with a subtle mineral vibe on the end—it’s like: crank up the smooth jazz, roll down the windows, and take in a blast of something familiar (Malbec) in a new and exciting way—all from the comfort of your patio lounge chair.
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Sebastiani 2020 Rosé, Carneros
Carneros is a unique place in the pantheon of great California wine-growing regions. It is the coolest place to grow grapes in the Bay Area, courtesy of the San Pablo Bay, which funnels in the early morning fog, intense day-long breezes, and then cools down at night under another blanket of evening fog. It’s unforgiving and difficult to farm under these conditions because it’s hard to ripen grapes. Basically, the ingredients for producing world-class wine! As in harsh conditions that force vines to struggle, and that beautiful struggle leads to this 100% Pinot Noir Rosé just packed with ripe raspberry, cherry, and orange zest, underscored by zesty acidity and a lovely mineral note.
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Central Coast
Firestone Vineyard 2021 Rosé, Santa Ynez Valley
Here’s a Merlot-dominant rosé with a hefty dose of Grüner Veltliner and traces of Petit Verdot and Gewürztraminer. Sound wild? It is wildly deep in color with massive depths of concentration. We’re talking deep-sea diving depth, and you can practically tell as much just by looking at this beauty in the glass. This 96-point/double gold winning (Experience Rosé 2022), rich textured rosé offers layers of stone fruits and blood orange with the classic high acidity of the cooler sites in the Santa Ynez valley. This is the rosé to pair with grilled meats, lamb, and aged cheeses.
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Lincourt 2021 Rosé of Grenache, Santa Ynez Valley
Jolly Rancher? Cotton Candy? Suppose you need to be reminded of your childhood and those long nights at the County Fair, getting in and out of trouble, running amuck, and generally making your parents lose their minds. In that case, this is the pink wine that will send you down an aromatic path of nostalgia because those smells are there, minus the awkward teenage years and desperate begging for cash to go on ‘just one more ride.” Let this be nothing more than a joy ride for yourself down memory lane.
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Pacific Northwest
The Four Graces 2021 Rosé of Pinot, Dundee Hills
Hand-picked grapes are whole-cluster pressed to preserve the freshness of flavors, and then these jewels are treated to five months aging in stainless steel and three months aging in oak—which is just a marvelous trick up the winemaker’s sleeve when they are looking to add a little body and plushness to a rosé. Fresh farmer’s market strawberry and watermelon appear silken and lush on the palate, and this stunner finishes with a crisp and lively finish.
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Three Rivers Estate 2021 Cabernet Franc Rosé, Walla Walla Valley
Hello, 92 points and a GOLD MEDAL from the Washington State Wine Awards! This Walla Walla Valley-grown Cabernet Franc rosé was raised entirely in stainless steel and pours forth with the aromas and flavors of summer—candied watermelon, bubblegum, wild strawberries, and falls in line with mouthwatering acidity. Cabernet Franc makes a charming medium-bodied red wine with equally racy acidity, so see what this variety can do in a glass of pink wine.
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France Wineries
Lucien Albrecht NV Brut Rosé Crémant d’Alsace
On this final wine, a final note about drinking and enjoying rosé: keep the wine CHILLED. Like, perfectly chilled, in an ice bucket or the fridge, but nice and chilled. Not so cold that you can’t taste the layers of flavors, but cold enough to keep those sippable pink glasses chasing the day's heat away. This is especially important for bubbly. And this 90-pointer (and a Wine Enthusiast Top French Sparklers outside Champagne) is the 100% Pinot Noir you’ll want to see bubble up and over on generous pours. Enthusiast: “In this wine, a subtle palate of rye crumb, red apple, and lemon follows a subdued nose. A lovely balance of flavors shows on the slender palate, with the freshness and juiciness of a ripe apple. Fine bubbles create resonance on the dry finish.”
The only issue with this wine is that we have limited distribution in the US. So, check in with us to make sure we can deliver to your state! And no matter what — here’s to rosé all day!
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