With summer upon us (yayyy!), it only makes sense to do a post about my favorite rosé wines…. Wait, who am I kidding – I drink rosé all year round!
What I love most about rosé is its versatility. In addition to being a delightful wine right out of the bottle, I also love it as a spritzer! And, it can be paired with EVERYTHING – from BBQ to sushi!
However, I don’t consider all rosés equal, so this post highlights only my top 10 favorite rosé wines. If you’ve previously passed on “pink wine,” I highly recommend that you give one of these rosés a try and let me know what you think. For those of you who already understand the gloriousness of rosé, let’s be friends! Comment on this post or connect with me on Instagram to tell me your go-to rosé!
Before we get into this list, I do have to add the disclaimer that I am not a sommelier – just an amateur rosé connoisseur. No one has dubbed me as an expert, but since I drink rosé so often, I feel like a professional… Alas, I have no certificate to prove it.
As you’ll see from my list below, I lean towards rosés that are from France, specifically the Côtes De Provence region. However, not all the rosés on my list are from France. There’s some California in there, too! I also prefer dry rosés over sweet, and I’m drawn to rosés that are more pale salmon pink than dark cherry pink.
The majority of these wines can be found at your local grocery store. Or, you can make your life easier and get the wine delivered from Amazon Fresh, which is conveniently included in an Amazon Prime membership. When you have two little babies, like me, grocery and wine shopping is so much simpler when ordered online. Plus, I love that Amazon Fresh has same-day delivery, and I often get the groceries delivered to my door in 2 hours or less!
So, let’s dive in! My list of best rosés below is in no particular order.
My Top 10 Rosé Wine Recommendations:
Chateau D Esclans Whispering Angel
Region: Côtes De Provence, France
Winemaker Notes: “Whispering Angel is today’s worldwide reference for Provence rosé. Made from Grenache, Cinsault and Rolle (Vermentino), its pale color is pleasing to the eye and draws one in. The rewarding taste profile is full and lush while being bone dry with a smooth finish. Highly approachable and enjoyable with a broad range of cuisine, Whispering Angel is a premium rosé that you can drink from mid-day to midnight.”
Maggie Notes: Whispering Angel is perhaps the Holy Grail of rosés. It’s on the pricier side for a reason – it’s darn delicious. Bring this rosé to a party and you’re guaranteed to make friends.
Chateau D Esclans The Palm by Whispering Angel
Region: Côtes De Provence, France
Winemaker Notes: “Made from Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan, this authentic rosé from Provence operates as a playful, trendy, energetic “little sister” to Whispering Angel. The Palm is expressive both inside and out as it shows great aromatic freshness on the nose followed by more subtle, fruity notes on the palate. The colorful and playful label has been called “almost as perfect as the rosé itself”. Signed and approved by Whispering Angel.”
Maggie Notes: A more affordable rosé by the same folks behind Whispering Angel – what’s not to like?! Also, the bottle feels so fun and perfect to bring to a pool party!
Region: Côtes De Provence, France
Winemaker Notes: “Pretty petal pink color with shiny undertones. Instantly reminds of Provence with its beautiful aromas of fresh fruit and spring flowers. Airy and balanced, it delicately combines great freshness and complexity, and develops saline and mineral notes. Its long and intense finish is the signature of a rosé with incomparable elegance: Miraval.”
Maggie Notes: I recently learned that Miraval is a joint venture between Perrin family and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. It’s safe to say the Pitt-Jolie family knows their rosé, as this is one of my most favorites. To me, this wine offers the perfect balance of light fruit while still being dry and sophisticated. I especially love pairing this wine with a fancy brunch or lunch.
Region: Côtes De Provence, France
Winemaker Notes: “M de Minuty is the quintessential Cotes de Provence Rose, a style that Chateau Minuty defined,and is the reason behind their success as the world’s top producer of premium rosé. Fresh, lively and perfectly balanced, fantastic quality, a glass in hand transports you to the seaside and the French riviera lifestyle, watching the sea and the sky, surrounding yourself with friends and family, and enjoying life to the fullest.”
Maggie Notes: This rosé is so refreshing and drinkable. I imagine being at a pool party in St. Barts surrounded by other fabulous people drinking M de Minuty in private cabanas. It’s lovely for a day in the sun or to liven up your brunch.
Region: Central Coast, California
Winemaker Notes: “This dry rosé reflects the pale pink promise of the perfect warm-weather wine. It’s delightfully crisp, lighthearted, and destined for a good time. The grapes for this Central Coast Grenache and Syrah blend were picked early in the season to achieve a natural acidity that’s ideal for summer drinking. To ensure as little extraction from the skins as possible, we used the direct press method, retaining the delicate fruit aromas and pale color rosé is known for. The result is light, aromatic, and dry – with notes of melon, peach, rose, and citrus. Summer-friendly fare like shellfish, ceviche, and salads will pair swimmingly or just drink it chilled with the ones you love.”
Maggie Notes: While hailing from the Central Coast, this rosé is as drinkable as the rosés from Provence with the bonus of American Spirit. This is the rosé you bring to the beach or have waiting in an ice bucket for your guests at your July 4th BBQ. It goes with everything, so be careful – it really can go down like water!
Gerard Bertrand Cote des Roses
Region: Languedoc, South of France
Winemaker Notes: “A wine to celebrate the Mediterranean Art of Living! Its originality lies in its original rose-shaped bottle, created by a young designer from Ecole Boulle. This cuvée boasts a lovely yellow color with golden tints. It is fresh. A soft, pale, brilliant pink with bluish tints developing over time towards more orangey nuances. The bouquet releases aromas of summer fruits, cassis, and redcurrant. Floral notes of rose along with hints of grapefruit complete the picture. The finish is fresh, offering notes of candy. On the palate, the impression is fresh and full, with great aromatic persistence and balance.”
Maggie Notes: A great balance of floral and fruity, this rosé makes for a lovely hostess gift because it comes in such a beautiful bottle.
Region: Rhône, France
Winemaker Notes: “Pale pink in color, this rosé offers fresh, delicate aromas of red fruits (currant, cherry), and citrus (lemon). On the palate, it shows a beautiful balance between ripeness and acidity, with notes of fresh fruit.”
Maggie Notes: This the most affordable rosé on my list, and it just so happens to also be one of my favorites. I recently learned that La Vielle Ferme is made by the Perrin family, who also produces the top-rated Miraval (also included on my list above). No wonder it’s so good! We always have this rosé in our wine fridge. I will sometimes use it to make rosé wine spritzers, too.
Region: California
Winemaker Notes: “Delicately pink in color, Meiomi Rosé is delightfully dry with vibrant acidity. The wine opens to delicate aromas of watermelon, orange peel, and subtle hints of rose petal. The palate offers a lush mouthfeel with flavors of stone fruit and strawberry with a cool minerality on the finish.”
Maggie Notes: This is the rosé I want to drink when vacationing the Coast of California. It’s delightful for pairing with snacks at a picnic or sipping on your hotel room balcony before dinner. It’s dry and fruity. It feels like vacation, and it feels like California.
Region: Santa Rita Hills, California Central Coast
Winemaker Notes: “The 2019 vintage was Estate Grown, in our Rio Vista Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills appellation and is our first rosé production. Produced in limited quantity, the resulting wine was made using a saignee, or juice draw, taken immediately upon crushing the grape clusters into the fermenter. This saignee was taken from small 1 – 1.5 ton lots of Pinot Noir from 6 different blocks and is 100% from Rio Vista Vineyard. The brief contact with the red grape skins renders its beautiful pale salmon color. The juice was fermented in stainless steel barrels, then aged on its lees for five months, adding depth and complexity to the wine without overshadowing the fresh fruit components. This Rose was bottled on March 4, 2020 and is an expression of the unique terroir of our vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA.”
Maggie Notes: This is the only wine on my list that’s not easily found in your local grocery store, but it is too good to leave off. I’m usually skeptical of California rosés, because I’m convinced no one can make a good dry rosé like the French, but this rosé from Thorne Family’s Rio Vista Vineyards is absolutely delicious. I was introduced to this rosé from a Thorne family member who became a friend in a local mommy-and-me class. I ordered a bottle to sample, and I liked it so much that I ordered more! I love supporting local winemakers (we have a collection of California Cabernets from small, independent winemakers), so I encourage you to try this rosé if you live in California. You can shop and buy at this link.
Region: Champagne, France
Winemaker Notes: “Rosé Imperial displays a pink color with amber highlights. Lively and intense, the bouquet exudes red fruits (wild strawberry, raspberry, cherry) with floral nuances of rose and a slight hint of pepper. On the palate, the wine shows a juicy intensity of berries (strawberry, raspberry, red currant) rounded out by the fleshiness and firmness of peach and the freshness of a subtle note of mint.”
Maggie Notes: For the Champagne lover, you can’t go wrong with Moet & Chandon’s rosé. It’s the perfect accent to any elegant summer soiree (or just when you want Champagne!).
Do you know of a lovely rosé that didn’t make this list? Let me know in the comments below or connect with me on Instagram! I’m always ready to try a new rosé!
And, while I have you thinking about wine, below are my favorite wine accessories – perfect for adding to your home wine bar or wrapping up for a gift!
My Favorite Wine Accessories:
We received these as a wedding gift, and we use them ALL the time. I love stemless glasses, because I worry less about potentially breaking them!
A fashionable way to keep your wine chilled after opening!
BruMate makes taking wine to-go so much easier! Never drink a warm glass on the beach, at the park or while camping when you have this!
Personalized Bottle Wine Stopper Top
Maybe its the Southern in me, but I love all things monogrammed!
Custom Engraved Personalized California Champagne Saber
My favorite tradition at St. Regis hotels is their evening Champagne sabering ritual. Ever since staying at The St. Regis Bal Harbour, I’ve dreamed of hosting a fancy soiree where I kick off the evening sabering a bottle for friends. This engraved saber is super classy!
You can’t beat the Yeti brand. It seems glass will always find a way to get knocked over and break when outside, so my anxiety level is way down when using these tumblers during our outdoor happy hours and BBQs.
Rabbit Bar Tools Classic Wing Corkscrew
We’ve yet to have an electric wine opener last longer than a couple of months, so we stick to the classic corkscrew. Rabbit is one of the most trusted wine accessory brands out there.
I hope you have a beautiful summer filled with good times with family and friends – and rosé!
CHEERS!!!
XO, Maggie
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: Some of this post contains affiliate links for the products I use and LOVE. If you take action on these links (like clicking, buying, etc.), I may receive compensation at no cost to you. As always, all opinions are my own, and I’ll only recommend what I truly love.
Maggie Jackson 