The Best Rosé Wine, How to Find it?

Rosé has been the biggest trend for the last decade and is finally as common as white and red wine. The category is popular, and it’s easy to see why — everyone looks great with a glass of pink wine in hand.

The thing is, rosé is a varied category. You can find rosé made with Pinot Noir, Grenache, Syrah, Zinfandel, Cinsault, or any red grapes. Winemakers everywhere use the varietals they have in hand to make rosé; the result is always fantastic. Here’s all you need to know about the best rosé wines and how to find them.

What is Rosé?

Rosé is a wine style made with red grapes and pressed with skins for several hours to create a pink wine. However, unlike red wine, the skins are removed after several hours, and the wine goes through the same fermentation process as white wine. Removing the skins prevents the wine from turning red. As a result, the wine has scents that might remind you of fruity red wine but with the minerality and acidity of crisp white wine. The red grapes don’t add tannins but red berry scents to the wine.

Dry rosé has a thirst-quenching flavor profile, and sweet styles are equally refreshing but sugary. 

Sparkling rosé is one of the most elegant (and expensive) sparkling wines worldwide. 

 Producers that make Sparkling Rosé using the champagne or prosecco method. Wine labeled as Rosé Prosecco is Sparkling Rosé produced in Italy with specific grapes. Rosé Champagne, is wine made using the champagne method in Champagne, France. 

What all pink rosé has in common, whether made with Cabernet Sauvignon or a pale rosé of Pinot Noir, is its aroma. Red fruit, pink grapefruit, rose petals, watermelon, or stone fruit, rosé constantly entices the nose and palate. 

What Does Rosé Taste Like

Rosé has a broad flavor spectrum and is often described as fresh and fruity. Expect notes of strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, and citrus, complemented by floral hints like rose petals. Depending on the varietals used, some rosés might have herbaceous or mineral undertones, making them diverse and exciting.

Is Rosé Wine Sweet or Dry

Not all rosé wines are sweet; the spectrum spans from bone-dry to lusciously sweet. While Provence rosés are known for their dry, crisp elegance, other styles, such as Spanish and Italian Rosés, are known for their balance of fruit and dryness. In the US, Rosé got a bad rap for having bubblegum sweetness due to the popularity of White Zinfandel from the United States. The sweetness or dryness of a rosé depends on the grape varietals used and the winemaking process, offering something for every palate.

Should Rosé Be Chilled

Rosé wine is best served chilled. Ideally, serve it between 45°F and 55°F to fully enjoy its refreshing flavors and aromas. Keeping rosé chilled enhances its crispness, making it perfect for warm-weather sipping or pairing with light meals.

The Best Rosé: Where Does it Come From?

The most famous pink wine is French. Interestingly, in France, rosé is also known as vin gris. Provence rosé is one of the most popular in the category, with producers as famous as Château d’Esclans and its Whispering Angel Rosé, Domaine Miraval, and Château Minuty. The pink wines labeled as Côtes de Provence and those made in every other Maison in the French Rhône Valley are fantastic, but they’re not necessarily the best.

South of France shares similarities with other wine regions worldwide. California produces spectacular rosé in Napa and Sonoma, and California rosé is good. Then you have the Willamette Valley in Oregon and even a few cellars in New York (like Wolffer Estate) specializing in the wine style.

Italy is no stranger to Rosato, and every Italian winemaker makes a bottle of rosé now and then, from the warm regions like Puglia to the cold Alps. Generally, people make rosé wherever conditions are right to make refreshing white wine.

Spain is home to spectacular vino rosado, especially in northern Navarra, which is often compared to Provence itself. Spanish rosé, whether made with Tempranillo, Garnacha, or Mourvèdre, is crowd-pleasing and delicious. Given its fruit-forwardness, it’s one of many people’s favorite food pairings.

Make Rosé Part of Your Life

Rosé is the kind of wine when you want something refreshing and easy to drink. It’s best served chilled (like a white wine) and it’s the perfect wine to kick back with on a hot summer day or to cool off with after a long day.

If you’re interested in the category, try Mai Vino Rosé. We make our Rosé with 100% organic grapes fermented with indigenous yeast with the most delicious combination of Tempranillo, Merlot, Garnacha, Syrah, and Cabernet. Don’t overthink rosé; the wine style is meant to be enjoyed with friends and having good times.