How to Buy the Best Rosé Wine: 3 Label Facts to Find
While some wine pros recommend looking at the color, that’s not always a fail-safe trick to pick the best bottle of rosé. Take a peek at these three details to pick a refreshing, high-quality rosé that will have you saying, “Yes way!”
1. The Vintage Year
Rosés are made in every country that produces wine, often with the same grapes that make other varietals. To achieve the pink hue, vintners use one of two wine production methods:
Saignée: French for “bleeding,” producers remove part of the juice from the grapes to make more concentrated red wine. This lighter grape juice is then transformed into rosé. Saignée is a more common practice in regions where bold, big reds are created. The resulting rosés are often rich and fruit-forward. Skin Contact: This is the more traditional method of the two, in which grape skins are allowed to hang out with the grape juice for a limited time. Those skins infuse some color and a hint of tannins (that astringent quality you notice in some red wines) before they’re removed and fermentation and the rest of the winemaking process continues. These rosés are generally lighter in hue than saignée wines and taste more like citrus (aka higher in acidity) than berries.
Now that you know how rosé gets rosy, we’ll admit: The production method isn’t usually listed on the wine label. Why? Both methods can produce good bottles of rosé—it just depends on your flavor preference. So instead of how it was made, look at when it was made. Unlike common wine wisdom might make you believe, not every wine gets better with age. Since rosé grapes are selected for their freshness, harvested early, and fermented at chilly temps, the final product is generally zesty and fresh-tasting. Consider this your “best if consumed by” rosé rule: Enjoy within two years of its vintage year—which is listed on the label—if possible. Occasionally, although not always, they tend to taste slightly “flatter” once it gets older.
2. Rosé Alcohol Percentage
If those fresh, youthful, light-bodied flavors are what you’re after, seek a rosé alcohol content of 13% or less ABV (alcohol by volume), which is required to be listed on the label by law. Whether you’re pairing them with a light seafood dish or simply enjoying a glass on the patio, we often pop open a bottle of rosé when we’re looking for something bright and refreshing. At this alcohol level, that’s likely what you’ll find. Rosés with higher ABV than 13% aren’t necessarily inferior, they just won’t taste as similar to what most wine pros consider high-quality rosé—ones that tastes most similar to rosés made in Provence, France. Buy It: Miraval Rose 2020 from Cotes de Provence ($28, Wine.com)
3. The Location of Origin
These locations are known for producing delicious rosés at great prices. You should be able to find some of the best-tasting rosé wines in the $15-$30 range.
Loire, FranceTavel, FranceProvence, FranceRioja, SpainSonoma, California
While these are standbys for quality rosé wine, there are also increasingly amazing rosés coming out of Oregon, South America, South Africa, Italy, and more. Sounds like the perfect excuse to invite over your pals and host a wine-tasting party!
