By all accounts, pink wine has staying power, though interest in rosé undoubtedly peaks during those months when the sun shines brightest, better known as “rosé season.”
Still, just like any other popular phenomenon, rosé can be divisive. Frozen slushie cocktails and pop-up Instagram experiences likely haven’t helped make the case for rosé as a “serious” wine. And so VinePair reached out to 10 industry professionals to find out whether they’ll be enjoying rosé this summer, or if they’re saying “no way!” to rosé.
“Rosé [is] a great drink for summertime and many expressions are great for food pairings any time of the year. This year, my go-to rosé has been 2018 Arnot-Roberts Rosé. It’s bright, with great minerality and notes of strawberry, citrus, and melon.” — Zachary Gross, Beverage Director, Sen Sakana, New York, NY
“I don’t drink a ton of rosé in the summer. I usually gravitate towards dry Riesling or some bubbles. I don’t think people can get tired of drinking rosé — there is always a time and place for it — you just need to switch it up, like any other wine. I don’t crack a bottle of Champagne every time I want to have a glass, although that doesn’t sound half bad.” – Courtney Wieland, Wine Director, The Modern, New York, NY
“Bored of drinking rosé? Not when it is served cold! This year has brought me the 2017 Phaunus Pet Nat from Vasco Croft in the Vinho Verde region. I’m loving it because of the vibrant acidity and lower 11.5% ABV content. I’m also digging the 2018 Rosé de Saignée from Domaine Eric Herault in Chinon. This wine is the color of raw tuna, and pairs with it too. You’ll find watermelon and raspberry in the glass, and you’ll find yourself under an umbrella, poolside.” — Harrison Spelman, Sommelier, The Waverly Inn and Garden, New York, NY
“I’m not tired of drinking rosé, the summer just began! I like complex and interesting rosés, though, none of the overly fruit-forward, uninteresting stuff. Some of my favorites are the 2016 Pacina La Rosa, [which has a] strong presence of bright red fruit with a refreshing acidity that balances out all the wine components; and the 2017 Domaine Olga Raffault Chinon, [a] herbaceous rosé and one of my favorite wines.” — Gabriela Davogustto, Wine Director, Clay, New York, NY
“Definitely not bored of drinking rosé this summer, or any summer for that matter. Rosé is so versatile and it’s always perfect to pair. Right now I love drinking the 2017 Francesco Cirelli Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Anfora, and 2018 Enfield Wine Co. Foot Tread Rosé. And if the 2018 Kabaj, San Lurinz “Corvus” Pet-Nat counts as a rosé, then I’ll take that all day. All three are super-serious wines from amazing producers.” — Matthew Brodbine, General Manager and Sommelier, Trois Mec, Los Angeles, CA
“I’ll never be bored of rosé per se, but I often try to mix it up when opening bottles amongst friends. While I’ll never say no to a glass of Champagne, Chablis, or dry Riesling, I love exploring some lesser-known options to have some fun. Hild is a small producer in the Mosel Valley that produces a grape called Elbling. Their old-vine plots produce wines that are both incredibly refreshing but can also excite the wine nerd in all of us with a ton of complexity. I also love Enric Soler, a producer making delicious whites in the Penedès region of Spain. He is making still, dry wines from Xarel-lo that are some of the most exciting whites in all of Spain!” – Matt Whitney, Beverage Director, Manhatta, New York, NY
“For me, rosé isn’t a season but a wine that you can drink all year round. Right now I’m obsessed with one from the north of Mount Etna in Sicily. Bonavita is a small family winery which makes its rosé from old Nerello Mascalese and Nocera vines. This rosé will age and also pairs perfectly with food.” — Elana Abt, Beverage Director and Sommelier, OTTO Enoteca e Pizzeria, New York, NY
“I’m taking a bit of a break from the lean, dry, tart styles of rosé, but have recently been excited by a few others. Clos Cibonne Côtes de Provence Rosé Tradition 2017 is a spicy, orange-peel-scented wine that’s made in a similar style to sherry. It has an amazing saline character to it. Also, 2012 Lillian Rosé from Washington is an exciting aged style with a savory side and is highly mineral-driven.” — Amy Racine, Wine Director, The Times Square EDITION, New York, NY
“Rosé has solidified its place as a renowned style of wine, not just a fad. It has earned a well-deserved place at the dinner table all year round, and is sometimes at its best with a year or two of age. I tend to gravitate toward rosé from classic producers in Provence, but we are starting to see producers from around the world who are very intentional about making their rosé using some of their best fruit.” — John Filkins, Sommelier, Masseria and Officina, Washington, D.C.
“I personally like rosé that has a little bit of fruit, and just a bite of acidity. I’m also a huge fan of sparkling rosé — there’s something about bubbly pink juice that catches the attention. Two rosés that I can enjoy any time of the year are Murgo Brut Rosé, a wine with phenomenal aromatic characteristics from Nerello Mascalese, and Pasini San Giovanni ‘Il Chiaretto’ Valtenesi Chiaretto, a beautiful coral pink rosé [that’s] perfect for warm summer evenings on its own, but also provides an excellent accompaniment to white meats, fish, pasta, and rice dishes.” — Danir Rincon, Beverage Director, Dell’anima, New York, NY
