10 Affordable Rosé Wines That Taste Expensive, According to Sommeliers
As temperatures climb around the country, one thing is certain: more people will reach for rosé wine as it takes over many retailers' shelves. The pink-tinted wine, which can be an easy drinker or more complex, is so popular in the warm months that it's known as "summer water" or "summer in a bottle" to regular drinkers.
However, while rosé goes down easy in the summer, it doesn't have to be a seasonal indulgence only. "Rosé wines are unfortunately full of myths and popular beliefs," explains sommelier Bertil Jean-Chronberg, owner of Bonde Fine Wine Shop in Cambridge, Mass. "Like the one that [says] rosé wine is a wine that is only drunk in summer." Consider this permission to drink rosé all year long.
Another misconception? That wine needs to be aged to be great. That's not the case for rosé, says Jessica Sculley, founder and director of Commonwealth Wine School in Massachusetts. "Rosé is meant to be drunk young," says Sculley. "People should be looking for 2023 rosés because these are wines that are not meant to age. They're not getting any fresher or more delicious or more concentrated with age for the most part."
That's not to say that 2022 or earlier would be a bad choice—or taste off—but there's no need to chase a year with rosé. Or a price tag! While none of the wines listed here are super cheap, they're all of great value for their quality.
Find our expert choices for great bottles of rosé that taste so much more expensive than the price tag. You can find all of them online or ask at your local wine store.
Wolffer Estate Summer in a Bottle
An easy drinking rosé that makes summer so much more fun, it's one of Sculley's picks, and it's sustainably farmed on Long Island. A mix of red and white grapes, this wine is refreshing, with a bit of acidity. "It's got kind of a lovely copper flavor. And I think the fact that it has some more floral white varieties mixed in gewürztraminer and riesling gives it sort of a floral lift, like a little rosy rose petal lift. And so I really do think it's kind of the perfect summer wine," she told us.
Bodegas Muga Rioja Rosado
When you think of Spanish wines, you probably think of reds, and you wouldn't be wrong, says Sculley. "This is a classic Rioja producer. They make really spectacular wines, and they're one of the great estates of Rioja. So really, really known for their structured age-worthy red wines and also their white wines."
However, this rosado—Spanish for rosé—is one you should definitely try. "It's got a really intense aroma of stone fruit, actually, like peach and apricot. It's really floral, it's got great acidity, and I think it'll go so well with summery dishes, a lot of seafood, pasta, even salads. It's a good starter. And it's just an incredibly well-made, affordable rosé," raves Sculley.
Peyrassol Côtes de Provence
You can't talk about rosé without a stop in France, and Sculley says this bottle is the benchmark. "These are the rosés that I would say almost everybody in the world is modeling their rosé after. They are these lovely, pale, salmon-colored, strawberry, aromatic, light, refreshing wines that this region is known for and that everybody else has tried to copy," she explains.
Tablas Creek, Patelin de Tablas Rosé
While this wine hails from Paso Robles, Calif., it's made in the classic French style. "This traditional Provence-style rosé is blended from grenache, mourvèdre, and counoise to create a wine with vibrant acidity and notes of stone fruit, white flowers, and chalky minerals with a mouth-watering finish," says Jean-Chronberg.
Chateau de Trinquevedel Rosé
A darker, richer bottle, this rosé is from the Rhône Valley, a bit inland from Provence, and it's made from a Rhône blend of grenache and syrah and senso and mourvedre.
"Don't you just look at that color and think, 'Okay, yum. I want to deal with that,'" says Sculley. "Because not that there's anything wrong with the light salmon colored rosé, and it's certainly of a style, but it's also pretty nice to have something with, I mean, dare I say a little more depth to it sometimes, right? Even more fruit!"
Liquid Farm, Rosé, Vogelzang Vineyard
Heading back to California, this refreshing bottle comes from the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara. "These 100% mourvèdre grapes will transport you directly to Provence. Crisp, clean, refreshing, with notes of white peach, apricot, tea leaves, mandarin orange, and river rock," says Jean-Chronberg.
The Language of Yes, "Les Fruits Rouges" Rosé
Jean-Chromberg raves about this bottle from the Central Coast of California, telling us, "This perfect onion skin color, with rhubarb and white pepper, and an impossibly crisp aroma is balanced by a creamy, mineral with a perfect acidity, it's core of concentration give a practically fatty finish."
Alpha Estate Single Vineyard Hedgehog Xinomavro Rosé
Sculley is a big fan of Greek wines, noting, "I think the explosion of what's coming out of Greece, it's super interesting. You've got great winemakers doing cool things, but also it's still such a great value."
The varietal used in making this wine is often made into reds, Sculley explains. "And to see the xinomavro, which is the varietal, come through as a rosé was really intense. It has a lot of crispness. It's got a lot of serious berry fruit. It was just absolutely delicious."
Casa Jipi, Rosé, Valle de San Vicente
"Here is a very nice surprise from Mexico," says Jean-Chronberg. This rosé is made with 100% barbera from Rancho Llano Colorado, and is subtle and elegant with a nose of jasmine, grapefruit, and fresh strawberry notes. On the palate, it offers a crisp freshness with lingering grapefruit and litchi aromas and a beautiful bone-dry finish of red berry aromas."
J.C Somers, Whole Lotta Rosé, Garnier Vineyard
If you love the reds from Oregon's Willamette Valley, this may be the rosé for you. "Whole Lotta Rosé is blended from grenache, syrah, and tempranillo sourced from the Garnier Vineyard in the Columbia River near the town of Mosier," Jean-Chronberg says of the wine, which is such a light pale pink color that you might mistake it for white. "A classic Provençal style, this wine is light but complex, dry, delicate and delicious."
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