16 best rosé wines that aren’t just for summertime sipping

In the 1st century BC, the Romans colonised the Gordonne region of France for its rich vines and ideal microclimate and, after all this time, it’s still producing magnificent wines. For hundreds of years, the Château has been a massive part of that.

This pale pink rosé invites the drinker in with a bouquet of white flowers and apricot, before blossoming with a silky mouthfeel. Unbelievably fresh citrus and elegant red berries intertwine and it’s no wonder this expression has picked up some awards. Beautiful, light and balanced to perfection.

Villa Maria has an incredibly diverse offering – geographically and stylistically – but its rosé is one of the better value options out there. Heavy on the dryness, it’s reminiscent of white wines that go in for tropical fruit (passionfruit and kiwi), which is no surprise, as this bottle is made with 90 per cent sauvignon. Merlot then delivers delicate red berries and a waft of floral blossom. It’s a really interesting option, especially for the price, with plenty to explore in the bold, zingy, and often unexpected directions it takes. It’s available at many supermarkets and is well worth picking up.

This benchmark Puglia pink, named after the Greek god of the sun, comes complete with a rose-gold pour that sends cherry, strawberry, and peach wafting towards the nose. However, it’s the silky, slender mouthfeel that steals the show – flowing with young strawberries, tangy cherries, ripe peach and pomegranate that lingers. Helios strikes a magic balance and would sing with a variety of Asian dishes.

This is the Spanish equivalent of the finest Provence rosé. Riding on the luscious, full texture are strawberries and cream delivered with remarkable elegance.

Marqués de Murrieta has 160 years of history behind it but this is its first rosé, using 100 per cent mazuelo grapes from its exclusive Ygay estate. Mazuelo is rarer than most rosé grapes in Rioja, so, this Spanish effort really stands out from the crowd, with a fuller pink colour and youthful, subtle flavours. Class in a glass.

Grenache, syrah, cinsault and tibouren make up this blend, which is brimming with Provençal charm but with a bit more weight than usual. This comes through with a distinct richness to the creamy mouthfeel and red berries, supported by delicately poised peaches, grapefruit, and candied orange peel. You’ll even find a touch of local herbs such as tarragon and rosemary.

Château Minuty is credited with creating the iconic pale pink hue of a great rosé and remains one of the last vineyards to pluck grapes by hand. Bringing style and elegance in abundance, it’s a favourite among the local bars and restaurants on the Cote d’Azur.

La Crema is a family-owned winery specialising in cool-climate creations across California, such as this Russian River Valley pinot noir rosé. Harvested late, the grapes give deep and rich strawberry and cherry flavours as well as the expected brightness from orange zest. Floral tones enter the field of play, too, alongside juicy acidity. On top of all that, there is even a pleasant vein of minerality lingering on the finish. Perfectly balanced and utterly refreshing, La Crema (meaning ‘the best’) is about right.

This expression offers something a little different. It’s a distinct blend of white vidiano and red liatiko – two emerging grapes from this Cretan vineyard. The Douloufakis story goes all the way back to 1930 when the winery was founded in the lovely village of Dafnos. Today, all these years later, it’s still family-run.

This Dafnios rosé is exuberant and vibrant, with a luscious viscosity to the mouthfeel. Subtle marine notes and warm pepper spice offer complexity, while acidic crispness from the vidiano comes through, and floral red fruits deliver a characterful brightness. A unique rosé full of personality and joy.

Gusbourne is right at the front when it comes to the flourishing world of English wine, and this still English rosé is tremendously exciting. It pours pale pink with an enticing aroma of zesty orange and summer berries, while the first sip is an explosion of raspberry, strawberry, redcurrant, and blossom, with orange zest and warm ginger in support.

England might not get as much sunshine as more notable rosé-producing nations but this really is a bottle to savour. From the vineyards of Kent, it’s a cracking take on the Provençal style, making full use of pinot noir grapes.

What we have here is the godfather of Provence rosé. Marcel Ott founded this winery along the beautiful Mediterranean coast in 1896 and its influence on the style is remarkable. These days, the winery has a few different properties in the region. Located just a stone’s throw away from the Mediterranean Sea, ancient vines produce one of the most celebrated rosés on the planet. What is unique is its concentrated and velvety texture, offering hints of sea spray, peach, apricot and strawberry. A creamy lemon zest erupts on the mid-palate, leaving you wanting more.

Pasqua is an award-winning family-run winery with a reputation for experimentation (it was the first Italian winery to be awarded Innovator of the Year by America’s Wine Enthusiast magazine).

This bottle blends contrasting profiles into one harmonious experience. The corvina, trebbiano di Lugana, syrah and carménère grapes from Veneto see vivid citrus and white flowers joined with gentle vanilla and toasted notes. It’s seductively soft and subtle, with perfect structure, freshness, and sophistication. Everyone who tries this seems to adore it – an amazing rosé.

Praisy Dlamini, the first female Cape Winemakers Guild protégée, is the powerhouse behind Amandla – an all-female, all-black team of vino experts. Shaking up the Western Cape, many of Amandla’s wines are also found brightening up the shelves of UK supermarkets.

This blush is in the fruit-forward style – plush with juicy red berries and lively, tart citrus that ends with a lingering note of red cherry. The merging of chenin blanc and a little pinotage is deliciously harmonious, as this wine treats you to a little of everything. It’s worth twice the price but don’t tell Sainsbury’s.

The zweigelt grape might not be that well known but it’s one of the most planted grapes in Austria. Its signature input is to bring deep cherry, cranberry and raspberry flavours with pepper and earthy spice, and that darkness is what you get here. This is a delicious, zingy, Austrian rosé, with grapes harvested at optimum ripeness for intense, sweet dark fruits that linger alongside light melon. It’s not a sugar bomb, though, as it has a good acidic zip and a hint of mineral stone at the end.

Penfolds has been a name in Australian wine since 1844, and Max’s rosé is a tribute to chief winemaker Max Schubert, who oversaw operations from 1948 to 1975. It’s a well-balanced, bright young rosé made in the Adelaide Hills, from pinot noir grapes. Think silky texture, strawberry and peach bursts, grapefruit tang and pleasant wafts of rose petal. It’s a dangerously easy-drinking expression because of the light feel, and the balance of acidity to bitterness to sweetness is perfectly poised.

Supporting smaller producers around the globe, Laylo struck pink when they found some sensational vino from the Luberon region of Provence. Mother and daughter winemaking team Anne-Marie and Camille Bagnis are the brains behind Chateau Constantin, getting stuck into winemaking in 2017 after both completing their degrees in oenology and vineyard management. A true family enterprise. Expect redcurrants and strawberries with a balanced acidity and refreshing punch of freshness.

This is a proper gourmet Provence rosé, blending mourvèdre, cinsault, syrah, vermentino and grenache grapes. Chateau Des Sarrins sits between the Alps and the Med in the quaint village of Saint Antonin du Var. There, since the mid-1990s, the Paillard family have been working on benchmark wines and has established a renowned reputation. Their grand cuvée is intense on the nose, with violet and white fruits, unfolding into a refined and soft palate with floral hints and acidic freshness. The signature style of low residual sugars and tamed alcohol makes it wonderfully thirst-quenching and food-friendly, making for something very special.

Over to the foothills of Valle de Ocón now, for a salmon-coloured rosado using tempranillo, graciano, garnacha and mazuelo from the family-owned Casa la Rad estate in Rioja. If you don’t want sweetness in your rosé, you’ll love this option, as just a touch comes through from the strawberry and rhubarb. Other than that, it’s incredibly dry and fresh, with a tartness to the fruits, and a bitterness to the cherry. The backend presents some rioja spice, as you might expect, but with a full body, zesty acids, and mineral undertow, this is crying out to be poured alongside food.