How do you pick a rosé wine when there are so many to choose from? Each rosé will taste slightly different as they are all made from different varietals, in different countries and in different styles. Taste a few different styles, write down your likes/dislikes and get to know your individual preferences. See “Comparison” section below for recommendations.

Description/Pairing: Most Rosé wines found in the store are actually dry, not sweet, and are for all year round, not just summer sippers. Rosé is a very food friendly wine and is a fabulous pairing with charcuterie, bbq, tacos, sushi, pizza and more. Find the one or two you prefer and stock up!

Fun Fact: How many famous musicians/celebrities can you name who are now producing rosé wine? How about Bon Jovi and his son partnering with the famous Bertrand name in Provence to produce Hampton Water Rosé? Or Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt partnering with the French Perrin family on Château Miraval in Provence? Or John Legend partnering with Jean-Charles Boisset to produce his LVE rosé brand? There are many others. Any favorites?

More Info: How is rosé made? In very general terms, it can be made by crushing and pressing red grapes, just like the white grape crushing process, and extracting a bit of the red color, but not too much, and sometimes even letting the juice sit in contact with the red skins a little longer. This must be a very careful process not to extract too much color and tannins. Or, it can be made by simply blending a little red wine into white wine, though this is not as common of a practice.

The Comparison: The rosé wines in this comparison are all under $15 and are made in different countries from a variety of different grapes – from traditional Syrah, Grenache and Pinot Noir, to a more unusual Merlot varietal for rosé. They all have a slightly unique taste, so try different wines and determine your individual preferences. Remember to write down your likes and dislikes on each wine or take a photo of your favorites.

Charles & Charles Rosé, Columbia Valley, Washington 2019 – 71% Syrah, 16% Grenache, 8% Mourvèdre, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Counoise – 11.4% alcohol. One of my favorites for overall taste and value. Light pink color with very balanced aromas and flavors of watermelon, strawberries & cream, raspberries and citrus. Very refreshing acidity and medium length. Excellent summertime sipper at a great price. I love Charles Smith wines for that taste and value combo, and Washington produces great Syrah, which I personally prefer and dominates in this rosé. His wines can be found at most local wine and grocery stores.

Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Rosé of Pinot Noir, California 2019 – 12.5% alcohol. This is a more savory/serious rosé. The Pinot varietal character is coming through with slight aromas and flavors of earth and mushrooms, followed by more traditional rosé flavors of strawberries, red cherries, citrus and mineral notes. Great rosé for food, but if you’re looking for that fun-in-the-sun rosé, this is probably not at the top of your list.

Kim Crawford Rosé, New Zealand 2020 – Appears to be 100% Merlot – 12.5% alcohol. This producer is not very transparent in the varietal content, likely because Merlot is a bit unusual for a rosé. I find that lack of info a bit annoying, however, I ultimately liked this wine very much. The Merlot provides a very interesting, delicious character. This rosé had the deepest pink color and a very pronounced nose, with aromas and flavors of rich, juicy tropical fruits, strawberries, citrus and floral notes. Fuller body, refreshing acidity and great price. Available at Wine.com, see link below (sign up for free shipping for a year for the best deal).

Campuget, Costières de Nîmes, Provence, France 2018 – 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache – 13% alcohol. This wine is more traditional Provence-like with its light salmon color and pronounced minerals/wet rock flavors, followed by raspberries, citrus and a hint of grapefruit, with great acidity. Great Provence rosé. More current vintage available at Wine.com, see link below.

The Palm by Whispering Angel, Vin de Provence Rosé 2020 – Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan – 12.5% alcohol. This wine had the lightest, prettiest pink color and a pronounced nose of cotton candy. Wow. Initial flavor of watermelon jolly ranchers, followed by raspberries, citrus and floral notes. It’s not a sweet wine; it’s very dry, just more refreshing fruit forward. Surprisingly, I loved it. The whole package is fabulous. Yes, the pretty bottle, the pretty color, the pretty flavors, and the bright refreshing acidity. I even found just a hint of fizz on this bottle. Definitely a summer party crowd pleaser. The Palm rosé seems to be in every aisle of every wine and grocery store, so it shouldn’t be hard to find.



Have fun in your rosé tastings! Cheers!