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We may be in the final weeks of summer, but our thirst for rosé still cannot be quenched.
The pink-hued wine, long associated with warm-weather months and produced using a variety of methods, has become a sales phenomenon in recent years. And it’s also become a broader category, with many different styles and iterations. Think frosé, the frozen version that’s popular in bars (notwithstanding the shortage of frozen-drink machines of late). And think sparkling rosé, a sub-category that grew by 118% from 2015 to 2020.
With that in mind, Weekend Sip did a little sampling to find five rosés worth considering. Here are the results of our, ahem, laborious research…
The celebrity rosé: Many boldface names have gone into the wine and booze business. And rocker Jon Bon Jovi is no exception, except he’s chosen to make his mark with — you guessed it — a rosé. His Hampton Water brand ($25), created in partnership with his son Jesse Bongiovi and inspired by the Hamptons lifestyle, came from his love of what he jokingly referred to as “pink juice.” It’s a French-made rosé with what is billed as a “fresh and lively” taste and a “distinct minerality.”
A summer spread with Mionetto Prosecco Rosé
Mionetto
The bubbly rosé: Yes, sparkling rosé has become even more popular. But which bubbly to buy? I’m partial to the Mionetto Prosecco Rosé ($15 for full-size bottle, though a smaller bottle is also available). The Italian sparkling wine lends itself to the rosé treatment and the resulting sip has pleasing notes of red berries and grapefruit. The brand suggests pairing it with grilled fish or a nice dish of risotto.
The rosé in a can: Jetway is a brand that describes itself as offering “the convergence of wine and seltzer.” So, it naturally makes sense it offers a rosé wine seltzer ($20 for a four-pack). This is a canned wine product, not unlike, well, a canned hard seltzer. It definitely has that rosé taste, but it also gets a boost of flavor from such added ingredients as white peach, ginger and orange peel. Oh, and this brand has a celebrity connection, too: Rocker Albert Hammond, Jr. (of The Strokes) is behind it.
The healthy rosé: Fresh Vine Wine is a California producer of low carb and low calorie wine. But all that “low”-ness doesn’t necessarily result in a sacrificing of taste. Its latest vintage of rosé ($17.95) is an easy-drinking delight, with what the label describes as “fresh flavors of nectarine, stone fruit and melon.” And it equates to just 98 calories a glass.
The boozy rosé: Strictly speaking, Inspiro Rosa Reposado is not a rosé, but a tequila — in this case, a tequila ($78.99) that has been aged in rosé barrels sourced from France, so there’s definitely a “pink” connection. It has a mild taste with vegetal notes, but there’s a hint of fruity sweetness that reflects the rosé barrel aging. If you use it to make a frozen margarita, it’s a decidedly different take on frosé.
