5 Great Rosés For Under $15

For most of us, winter was cold and mean. Snow was like a Top Chef marathon — always on and a convenient excuse to stay inside. But eventually spring sprung and with it came the familiar line-up of articles reinventing catchy ways to talk about rosé wines: "Think Pink," "Feeling Pink," "Neither White nor Red."

Essentially a "leftover wine" — it was originally made using the leftover grapes for daily summertime consumption in France — rosé should be good and cheap. It should be fruity yet dry, low in alcohol, easy to drink alone, or happily paired with lighter meals: a fat tomato and parsley salad, not-so-bready crab cakes, or poached wild salmon, rare. 

While there are pricey rosé wines on the market (some worth the grant, some not), start the bidding low. There are plenty of options under $15, take your pick.

Wine: Perle de Rosé
Producer: Château Real Martin
From: Côtes de Provence, France
Grape(s): Syrah, mourvèdre, grenache
Year: 2010
Personality: Watermelon, floral
Market price: $15

Wine: Muga Rosado
Producer: Muga
From: Rioja, Spain 
Grape(s): Garnacha, tempranillo, viura
Year: 2010
Personality: Raspberry
Market price: $10

Wine: Bleue Rosé
Producer: Jean-Luc Colombo
From: Côtes Bleue, France 
Grape(s): Syrah, mourvèdre, counoise
Year: 2010
Personality: Wild strawberry
Market price: $9

Wine: Mattabella Rosé
Producer: Mattebella
From: North Fork, Long Island, New York 
Grape(s): Merlot, cabernet franc
Year: 2010
Personality: Cherry, floral
Market price: $14

Wine: Gris de Gris
Producer: Domaine de Fontsainte
From: Corbières, France
Grape(s): Grenache gris, mourvèdre, cinsault, carignan
Year: 2010
Personality: Dark cherry, raspberry
Market price: $14