50 Best Rosés For Summer 2016 Slideshow

This 2015 is especially good. Any time you want a nice glass of chilled rosé (for the equivalent of $7.25 a bottle)! Made from 100 percent garnacha (grenache) grown in Valencia, this wine has a light reddish pink color and a lovely floral tinged perfume with subtle hints of cherry and a very faint spice nuance. On the palate, it has lovely berry fruit with a very faint floral undertone. Very elegant and balanced with a lot of charm, this is a rosé that is very enjoyable and easy to drink. In fact, it is amazing how fast you can go through a couple of glasses. It is very inexpensive and very practical to have in the refrigerator (where it will keep for weeks). — John Tilson

This clairet (a dark, full-bodied rosé style that is a specialty of Bordeaux) has very good cherry flavors with a refreshing touch of herbal greenery to set the gastric juices flowing. — Roger Morris

A different type of rosé that won't appeal to all because of its green herbaceous, especially in the aromas, but a wine that's certainly worth the experience. — Roger Morris

A typical Rioja blend of garnacha and tempranillo, this is a wine for tea sandwiches, offering creamy fruitiness but with friendly bitters in the finish. — Roger Morris

From the heart of Israeli wine country, this unusual blend (roughly three-quarters sangiovese and one-quarter pinot noir with a splash of grenache), is well-made and complex — with tangy, creamy strawberry flavors, a medium body, and light tannins. — Roger Morris

A blend of 96 percent grenache noir and four percent syrah grown in the Roussillon region of southern France, just 30 miles north of Spain. The wine is lovely and a very good value. With a light pink color and a faint golden hue, it has a very nice floral perfume with very faint hints of raspberry and citrus and just a kiss of spice. On the palate there is lots of raspberry-tinged fruit with floral nuances and a nice underlying crispness. — John Tilson

A delicious and delicate rosé, made from Austria's zweigelt and St. Laurent grapes, that is a very good value. It is very light orange pink in color and has a lovely floral perfume with hints of orange zest and strawberry accented by a tinge of mint. It's elegant, with a nice crispness, and the subtle flavors show hints of strawberry, apricot, and citrus with a kiss of mint. — John Tilson 

Half grenache gris, equal parts grenache noir and carignan, and a bit of cinsault and mourvèdre (gris de gris is a rosé made from red grapes with a greyish-colored skin, such as grenache gris and cinsault), this is a delicious rosé year in and year out and it ages very well. It has a very light pale pink color with a faint orange hue and a golden edge. It has a deep perfume with hints of rose petals with faint peach nuances accented by a very faint touch of spice and fresh herbs. It is delicate yet flavorful, with hints of peach tinged with a faint herbal spice. Beautifully balanced, this rosé has great appeal and is a pleasure to drink. — John Tilson 

The label doesn't tell us the origin of the grapes, but we doubt it was anywhere within the city limits (actually, they're old-vine grenache from someplace in California). No matter: This salmon-colored wine is light and crisp, even elegant, with tangy strawberry flavors. — Roger Morris

Some red beaujolais is so light and frivolous that one is tempted to chill it way down and pretend it's rosé. Here's a beaujolais rosé with no pretending — just a clean, spicy, refreshing gamay-based wine with nice fruit but also a bit of tart, stalky character. — Morley Jones

A meaty, complex rosé from a small co-op in Italy's smallest region, the Valle d'Aosta, nestled in the Alps between Piedmont, Switzerland, and France. The grapes are nebbiolo and two local cultivars, neyret and gros vien, and they add up to a forthright wine with no particular finesse but plenty of summer-berry flavor and a nice lingering finish. — Colman Andrews

This dark pink wine is sturdy, well-structured, and minerally, if still a little tight with its flavors of fresh cherries and strawberries. — Roger Morris

Full and fruity with preserved-strawberry and candied icing flavors, a wine both in substantial body and delicate on the palate. — Roger Morris

From the famous Rhône producer's property Down Under, this wine has refreshing fragrances of geraniums leaves and tree nuts along with flavors of tart citrus and dry spices; light and refreshing. — Roger Morris

This rosé is made with 100 percent gamay. It is light reddish orange pink in color with a golden hue and has a great perfume with a myriad of red fruits suggesting cherry, raspberry, and strawberry. The same flavors carry through on the palate with a faint underlying tinge of citrus and a very faint spiciness. This is an absolutely delicious rosé with great style, definition, balance, and flavor. — John Tilson

A vivid, juicy rosé from Austria's best homegrown red-wine grape — and, in fact, with its intensity of fruit and clean, dry finish, you could almost mistake it for a light-bodied red wine if you closed your eyes (which would be a mistake, as you'd miss its very pretty color). — Colman Andrews

This definitively summery rosé — light, breezy, joyously pink, faintly sparkling — is made by blending the juice of two Basque grapes, the white hondarribi zuri and the red hondarribi beltza. Seriously refreshing, it's all too easy to drink and drink and drink (though also low enough in alcohol to perhaps permit survival). — Morley Jones

Primarily from grenache and cinsault, this wine is fresh and spicy with flavors of ripe strawberries and white pepper around the edges. — Roger Morris            

The style of this 100-percent mourvèdre from Virginia is distinctly Provençal: crisp, fresh, exceptionally well-balanced, and very food-friendly. The pale apricot salmon pink is gorgeous, and the nose is exceptional, redolent of honeysuckle; there's berry and currant on the palate, a silky body, and a refreshing finish with a touch of mineral and smoke. — Anne Black Montgomery

A pale, Provençal-inspired California classic, with an unmistakable southern French pedigree that includes grenache (44 percent), grenache blanc (20 percent) and trace elements of carignan, mourvèdre, cinsaut, and roussanne. Its attractive pink (grayish-pink?) color sets the tone for its elegant, understated nose and politely fruity flavor, finished with a hint of lemongrass. — Morley Jones

A fairly dark, sturdy, nebbiolo-based rosé from northeastern Piedmont, with a strawberry-inflected aroma and a lot of juicy berry fruit in the mouth, with enough acidity to keep it from cloying. — Morley Jones

From the noted Señorio de Arínzano pago (an individually designated wine estate) in Navarra, in northwestern Spain — a region that produces some of
Europe's best and most reasonably priced rosés — this is a ruby-colored rosé with tangy, juicy berry flavors and hints of tannins, though it's a little short on the palate. — Roger Morris

A collaboration between Paso Robles winemaker Austin Hope and Texas-based chef Tim Love (get it?), based on mourvèdre, grenache, and syrah — with an earthy salmon-orange color, an exuberant aroma suggesting cherries and strawberries, and a flavor of the same fruits, with a palate-awakening tartness that verges on the astringent. — Colman Andrews

Rhône varieties grown in Washington State's Horse Heaven Hills AVA are the building blocks here, but, uncommonly, the main grapes are cinsault (at 39 percent) and carignan (at 36), with frequent headliner grenache relegated to a supporting role. The wine is an almost metallic salmon hue, with a summer berry nose, a flavor of berries with a touch of cantaloupe, and a brusque, dry finish. — Morley Jones

The wines of Spain's Canary Islands are little known, even in Spain itself, but can be excellent. Listán negro is a variety found only in the islands (though it may be distantly related to the mission grape originally planted in California by Spanish missionaries), and in the volcanic soil of Lanzarote, where this rosé is made, it yields both red and rosé wines with impressive structure, earthy and mineral-accented. This rosé blends the expected summer berries with more tropical notes (mango?) and adds up to a lush and luscious mouthful. — Colman Andrews

An unusual Argentinian combination of pinot grigio (85 percent) turned pink with 15 percent syrah — a soft-bodied wine with tart red fruitiness, light tannins, and a piquant finish. — Roger Morris

Tavel is a Rhône appellation that produces only rosé. This one is soft and cushiony, with tastes of peach flesh and skin and a good crispness in the finish. — Roger Morris

A mix of Rhône varieties — mainly grenache but also some seldom-seen counoise — from Sonoma, adding up to a delightfully complex blend of red raspberries and strawberries with a spoonful of crème fraîche. — Roger Morris

This deep pink California winner is a pleasing blend of grenache, mourvedre, and syrah. It is full of juicy berries and boasts a lovely round mouthfeel, while the natural acidity of Paso Robles soils ensures a refreshingly acidic, Meyer lemon finish. — Anne Black Montgomery

Don't let the name fool you. This isn't the flabby, sweetish kind of white zinfandel — just a pale pink delight, crisp and lively and dry, with a nice vinous aroma and flavors of wild strawberries and Provençal herbs. — Morley Jones

An attractive curiosity, made from old-vine liatiko, a variety apparently native to Crete (where this wine is produced) — earthy, stony, herbal, rather rustic, almost chewy — not a wine for beginners, but one that anyone with an adventurous palate will likely enjoy a lot. — Colman Andrews

There's a nice note of gaminess in the nose and mouth with this wine, followed by a crisp yet smooth fruitiness on the palate — quite enjoyable. — Roger Morris 

Year in and year out, this is one of the most delicious rosés imaginable. And, it comes in the really gorgeous blue bottle! It is always one of the most elegant and charming of all rosés. With a pale salmon pink color showing a golden edge the wine shows a great floral tinged perfume with hints of peach and a subtle nuance of lemon lime. Very elegant and full of finesse, with subtle hints of peach, strawberry, and melon with a faint hint of lime that contribute to the crispness. Absolutely delicious. — John Tilson

This pinot noir-based wine is a complex rosé that is long on the palate, with tangy strawberries and hints of savory spices in the finish. — Roger Morris

A lively, well-balanced rosé from this master of Rhône varieties in California (this one is grenache, mourvèdre, and counoise), with an aroma of roses and jasmine and a juicy strawberry flavor with notes of licorice and wild herbs. — Colman Andrews

The late Joe Heitz was enamored of this seldom-seen Italian variety, and made nice wines, both red and rosé from it. The legacy continues. This latest entry is a pretty pink color, with a lightly floral aroma and a fresh, bright flavor that invokes the inevitable strawberries but also a touch of citrus. — Colman Andrews

An unusual wine, made in Lake County (north of Napa) from Portugal's noble touriga nacional grape. It smells a little like ripe cantaloupe, but focuses on red summer fruits on the palate, with plenty of acid and a faintly briny finish. Stump the panel with this one. — Morley Jones

A 100-percent carignan from this legendary Lebanese wine estate, light orange-pink in color and medium-rich in body, with something of an apple-blossom nose and an opulent citrus-tinged flavor. — Morley Jones

The faintest of salmon pinks in the glass, Rock Angel (sibling of the ubiquitous Whispering Angel) is a lush, flavorful, well-balanced wine, a complex blend of old-vine grenache with added cinsault, rolle, and syrah.  Red berry and mineral dominate the palate, and the wine demonstrates impressive structure and refreshing acidity. The finish is exceptionally long for a rosé, and ends with a breath of the sea. Gorgeous. — Anne Black Montgomery

This is 100 percent grenache gris harvested from the best estate vineyard parcels. It is a really gorgeous wine that is silky with a lovely underlying crispness. Very pale pink in color with a faint golden hue, the wine has a gorgeous floral perfume that is faintly exotic with hints of mango and pineapple. With complex fruit flavors suggesting kiwi with hints of peach and mango, this rosé is simply stunning. — John Tilson

This very grownup-tasting rosé, from one of the top pinot noir (and chardonnay) producers in Oregon's Willamette Valley, is 100 percent pinot noir but somehow manages to display a Provençal-style freshness, nimbleness, and herbal overlay. The nose is a fruit bowl full of lovely aromas, and the flavor accents a hint of dried cherries with a dry, Mediterranean-underbrush character. — Colman Andrews

An markedly aromatic rosé, made from Corsica's indigenous sciacarello grape by one of the island's top winemakers. There's strawberry and raspberry in the nose and on the palate, but in the latter case the fruit is joined by a suggestion of watermelon and a bright line of acidity. — Colman Andrews

A field blend of mostly Italian varieties (corvina veronese, barbera, nebbiolo, etc.) with a bit of petit verdot and the cabernet sauvignon–carignan cross called carmine, from Pennsylvania. Very smooth texture with bold, creamy flavors of strawberries and cranberries and lots of depth. — Roger Morris

The first rosé that a lot of rosé-resistant wine-lovers found that they had to take seriously, this immensely flavorful, full-bodied, but unfailingly elegant blend of mourvèdre (roughly half), grenache, and cinsault (sometimes with a soupçon of carignan added) offers summer fruit and a whiff of wild thyme and rosemary in the nose, then fills the palate with mineral-tinged fruit dusted with dried herbs. — Colman Andrews

Another salmon-hued catch that is easy-drinking – light-bodied and lean with the tastes of ripe woods strawberries. A delicious wine, dry, yet creamy and complex with good fruitiness of fresh strawberries, savory notes, and a crisp finish. — Roger Morris

Clean and lean, with light strawberry flavors, good minerality, and a creamy finishing note — all packaged in an unusual, broad-bottom bottle whose design and manufacture must account for at least part of this wine's hefty price. — Roger Morris

This rosé from Umbria is a blend of sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot (30 percent each), and 10 percent aleatico. It has a pale salmon hue in the glass. Wild strawberry aromas are joined by a hint of orange zest on the nose. Red cherry and continued strawberry flavors dominate the palate. Hints of crème fraîche and white pepper appear in the long, pleasing finish. This is as great a value in rosé as the same winery's red blend, also named Vitiano, is year after year. — Gabe Sasso

This rosé is composed entirely of syrah from the Knights Valley region. The deep pink hue is striking in the glass. Bright red cherry aromas explode in the nose. Flavors of raspberry, watermelon, and cherry are evident. All of those characteristics continue through the crisp, mouthwatering finish. You'll have a hard time putting this wine down. I know I did. It's summer in a glass. — Gabe Sasso

Memorable flavors and texture due to the inclusion of cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon in the blend along with merlot (proportions are about one-third each), which contribute a backbone of tannins to the mouthfeel. Well-made, with a precise fruit-acid balance. — Andrew Chalk

Aleatico is a grape native to central Italy, but the grapes for this rosé are from Sonoma Valley. The fresh red fruit aromas burst with conviction from the nose here. The palate is studded with bright red fruit flavors such as cherry, raspberry, and plum. Racy acid keeps things in check and provides a crisp, zippy finish loaded with additional fruit flavors. The moment your swallow a sip you'll want to take another. — Gabe Sasso