Top 5 Rosés of 2023
All aboard! It’s time to embark on a PINK wine journey together!! ⚓️⛵️🥂
I love a good rosé! And, according to the International Wine and Spirits Record, so do the majority of wine drinkers. In fact, they reported that from 2015-2019, still rosé wine sales outpaced total still wine sales by almost 18%! I’d say rosé is here to stay.
But understanding rosé can often be difficult. To find the right rosé for the occasion, it’s good to know that rosé can be made from any red grape variety, which will add the specific character of that variety to the wine. Therefore, knowing which red wine grapes you tend to enjoy is helpful. It’s also good to know the winemaking methods that are used for rosé, which will result in completely different styles.
To understand this, here are the THREE most common ways DRY rosé is made.
Direct Press - like white wine production, the red grapes are crushed so the juice is separated from its skins almost immediately, adding very little color to the resulting juice to be fermented. This winemaking method typically produces a light and delicate wine.
Short Maceration - after gently crushing the red grapes, the juice is left to macerate with the skins for some time. The longer it sits, the more color (and tannins) it will pick up. Also called the “saignée” method, these wines are usually darker in color and sip well with food.
Blending - just as it sounds, white wine is blended with red wine, causing it to ultimately be a pink wine. This is usually used in inexpensive rosé. Of course, there are always exceptions in the world of wine! One such exception is rosé champagne, where many winemakers will add red wine during the last production steps to create a rosé.
Now that we have the winemaking methods down, knowing the regional variations will also help when choosing a bottle. For example, here are THREE common regions in France that are known for rosé:
Provence rosé is typically made using a blend of grapes grown in the region - with Grenache, Mouvèdre, Cinsault, and Syrah being the main grapes used for the blends. They are usually light and dry in style, perfect for an aperitif!
Tavel rosé comes from the southern Rhone AOC, Tavel, which only produces rosé. Although they may use nine different varieties, the wines are most commonly made from Grenache in the saignée method, lending to a wine that is dry with structure and concentration. This style can stand up to so many food pairings, from shrimp to grilled sausages.
Rosé de Loire can come from anywhere in the Middle Loire Valley of France. It can be made from several varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon & Franc, Grolleau (an indigenous red grape to the Loire), Gamay, and Pinot Noir. It’s important to look for which varieties they are using because there can be a big difference in the resulting flavors (Pinot Noir vs Cabernet Franc). They should be dry in style. Quick note - don’t confuse Rosé de Loire with Cabernet d’Anjou or Rosé d’Anjou, which also come from the Loire Valley. The latter two AOCs are off-dry and sweet rosé wines.
Of course, in the United States, wineries can use any grape(s) to produce rosé. Knowing the region that the rosé is coming from can give you a good idea of which varieties are used in the wine. For example, Napa wineries will often make a rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon. In Sonoma, Pinot Noir is widely used. Many bottlings also name the grapes on the label too - thank you, America!
Lastly, because dry rosé is the most popular style out there and our wine stores tend to lean heavily on American and French rosé, the wines I tasted were both dry in style and from these two countries. I am exploring more rosé from Spain, Italy, and the rest of the world. Stay tuned for an updated post that will include these gems.
Links to learn more and/or purchase the wines have been added from retailers that have the wines in stock at this time. I hope you enjoy!
As your captain, I tasted countless producers…from bottles to boxes over the last few months to bring you my TOP 5 rosés to buy in 2023.
Made with 93% Grenache and 7% Cinsault from the Central Coast of California, this bottle captures everything these varieties bring to rosé - strawberry, raspberry, bing cherry, and watermelon. It’s direct pressed and fermented at low temps, lending to a light and fresh style of rosé. This is the wine for hot summer pool days. And, at $18/bottle, it’s a steal!
This rosé from the Côtes de Provence AOP is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah. The Grenache is grown on limestone soils and harvested at night. Winemaking is at low temps to preserve the wine’s freshness. I tasted this in the spring with the rest of their lineup and this one stood out with its delicate texture and notes of citrus and strawberry. And bonus - you can actually stay at the Chateau if you visit Provence!
There is a reason this rosé continuously makes my must-have list. Its elegance and complexity for a rosé from Provence never fails. Grown at an altitude of around 1,200’ on clay and limestone soils, the blend of Cinsault, Grenache, Rolle (Vermentino), and Syrah is made by direct pressing the first three varieties and using partial saignée for the Syrah. Besides stainless steel for fermentation, they also use 5% oak barrels and stirring of the lees. What’s this do? It adds wonderful complexity and texture to the wine.
Did you know that the Monarch population has declined by 90% since the introduction of Roundup? Carlo Mondavi is raising awareness of herbicides and the detriment to our farms that filter into our entire lives. Each bottle sale goes towards organizations that help protect our planet. Coming from RAEN’s coastal vineyards in Sonoma, this Pinot Noir rosé is made even better by the addition of a block of old vine Grenache. With notes of stone fruits, white flowers, and citrus, it’s a rosé that I originally ordered for the Cause and kept going back for its quality.
Coming from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma, the Emeritus rosé of Pinot Noir hails from the dry-farmed Hallberg Ranch vineyard. It is made in the saignée method and aged in concrete and stainless steel for five months. I think it’s a combination of the farming practices and production methods that gives this rosé a highly complex nose that keeps giving throughout. It has a deeper hue with notes of citrus, cranberry, and crushed stones that would pair beautifully with food. Personally, I would love to have this bottle with the tuna poke bowl recipe on their website!
Wow, that was really hard to come up with only five wines. There are so many great rosés out there, and I have to say, the research was quite tasty!
A few takeaways from all of my time sipping on rosé for this post? The world of rosé is extremely diverse. Knowing your producer and their winemaking practices are invaluable.
I found that I really love rosé of Grenache for its bright red fruit and rosé of Pinot Noir for its delicate floral notes.
And last but not least! Don’t knock all boxed wine. For example, I sampled Game Box Rosé and was pleasantly surprised at how quaffable it was compared to some of the bottled wines I sampled.
I hope this inspires you to go out there and taste your way through the many colors of rosé to find your favorite. And if you have a recommendation, please send it my way!
