The Best Rosé Wines to Drink Now for International Rosé Day

French Wine Explorer’s Recommendations

Jun 13, 2023

I watched NBC’s Today show this week. It featured Savannah Guthrie from Paris doing a preview of next year’s 2024 Olympic Games. I started counting the number times rosé wine was mentioned and lost count! The wine was a centerpiece of each segment. Since I am heading to Paris in July, I am curious to explore what the best rosé wines to drink now are.

Rosé is not just the trendy wine of the 21^st century. When the Greeks planted the first grapevines in Provence 2,600 years ago, they were already making a great rosé. This wine is made from red grapes, which get their pink color from just a very limited exposure to their skins. The pink color ranges from an almost-no-pink to melon to salmon to a very bright pink depending on the grape used and the exposure to the skins.

In 2016, my good friend, Pascale Bernasse, Chief Joy Officer at French Wine Explorers, a truly successful France wine tour company, planned three trips for me to Champagne, Burgundy, and Bordeaux. What a memorable series of tours! She and her husband, Pierre, a Franco-American couple, redefine luxury with their exclusive tours. Pascale is a wonderful resource for me for French wine. Pascale Bernasse and I offer “Drink Now” rosé wine recommendations below.

International Rosé Day

Have you heard of a June event called ‘Rosé Wine Day’? US National Rosé Day is the 2^nd Saturday of June annually and will be celebrated this month in many locations, for example Eastern Maryland, Hill Country Texas, Colorado, and St. Louis. “International Rosé Day” is celebrated in many locations worldwide and will be prominently celebrated in the French region of Provence on the fourth Friday of June.

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Provençal Wine with Food Pairing Recommendations

The Provençal like to pair their famous rosé wine with local specialty foods like Bouillabaisse, Aïoli with summer vegetables, Salade Niçoise, and Ratatouille. Bouillabaisse is the signature dish of Marseille consisting of fresh fish, saffron, herbs, onions, tomatoes, and copious quantities of croutons. Tiramisu aux Fraises--strawberries--is a popular dessert whether made with strawberries or raspberries. Sometimes this dessert is made with the “Roses de Reims” Champagne region biscuits instead of traditional ladyfingers. All of these dishes pair well with the fruit-forward aromas of rosé wine: strawberry, peach, and raspberry dried herb bouquets. See Tiramisu Aux Fraises recipe below.

International Wine Regions Producing Rosé Wines

Rosé wines are produced worldwide. Rosés are one of the fastest growing categories in the industry. It’s not your old White Zinfandel. Rosé wines are crafted with a variety of red wine grapes traditional to each region produced. In France, rosé wines are found virtually in all regions: Champagne, Burgundy, Provence, Bordeaux, Rhône Valley, Loire Valley, and others. In the USA almost every state offers rosé wine, and they are seen in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Spain, South Africa, and in many South America wine regions. Some are light-bodied like the traditional Provence-style and some are darker pink like the Tannat grape rosé wines produced in the Texas Hill Country.