As temperatures continue to rise across the country, we are in the thick of rosé season. And on one of those hot days, there's nothing better than a refreshing pink drink. Produced in an array of hues from blush to magenta, rosé wine is made via a number of ways, but most commonly by macerating red grape skins with grape juice for up to a day to impart that classic pink tone.
The category has sky-rocketed in popularity over the last decade or so thanks to a number of factors including the wine’s versatility, celebrity endorsements (look no further than Jon Bon Jovi's Hampton Water), and the wine’s aesthetically pleasing color that makes it a darling for social media. And while rosé wine is surely drinkable, it has a serious side, too, with respected winemakers producing age-worthy and collectable expressions.
In the name of summer, we chatted with some of America’s top wine experts for their recommendations on which rosés to drink—from classic to adventurous—right now.
Smyth, Chicago
Last year over in the West Loop, Chef John Shields earned a well-deserved third Michelin Star for his boundary-pushing New American tasting menu rife with dishes like beeswax-dipped Norwegian king crab legs and quail egg yolk caramels. On the beverage side, assistant general manager and wine director Louis Fabrini helms the restaurant’s evolving wine curation, which prioritizes low-intervention wine-growing practices from both up and coming and established producers around the world. And the 20 rosé selections are no exception. If you were to ask for such a bottle on a scalding day, here’s what Fabrini might recommend:
What to try if you are a classicist: 2022 Domaine des Ardoisières, Argile Rosé, Savoie, France: “Brice Omont makes this rosé in the French region of Savoie near the Swiss border from gamay planted on steep, rocky slopes above the town of Fréterive. The wine is light, nervy, and red-fruited; refreshing and beguiling. It's a great choice for someone who appreciates a classically styled rosé.”
What to try if you are adventurous: 2022 Dorsal Wines, Orb, Sierra Foothills, California: “Devin Meyers makes this rosé from grenache grown in the high-elevation Sumu Kaw Vineyard in El Dorado County, California. The grapes are foot-stomped, macerated for three days, and then pressed to tank. The resulting wine has a satiny texture, smoke and sour cherry aromatics, and a distinct saltiness on the palate.”
Charlie Bird, New York
Oenophiles looking for rare and unique wines focused on Italy know that Chef Ryan Hardy’s Charlie Bird in Soho is the spot. The bill of fare highlights seasonal Italian-American cuisine, and Theo Lieberman’s (beverage director for Delicious Hospitality Group, the restaurant’s overarching development group) complementary wine list pays tribute to Italy and France but doesn’t overlook bottlings from the U.S. and Argentina. Right now, he’s offering a deep collection of 43 rosés, with age-worthy options, extremely rare bottles, magnums, and several producers with multiple vintages. If you plan to stop by on a summer day, here are some wines he might suggest:
What to try if you are a classicist: 2022 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Rosé de Pinot Noir, Hautes Côtes de Beaune: This is a “beautiful rosé from one of the best producers in Burgundy. If pinot noir was always this affordable, I wouldn’t drink anything else!”
What to try if you are adventurous: François Cotat, Chavignol Pinot Noir Rosé, Loire Valley 2013: This is “a 12-year-old rosé that is just starting to come into its prime. I think people need to start seeing the aging potential of serious rosé!”
Chambers, New York
Pascaline Lepeltier is one of the world’s few female master sommeliers and is acclaimed for her work in the natural wine space. Last year she—along with partners Jared David, David Lillie, and chef Jon Karis—debuted a seasonal New American restaurant with a killer low-intervention wine list. Lepeltier is offering an impressive 50 rosé options, with older vintages dating as far back as 2000. Want to try something really special? Here’s what she might recommend:
What to try if you are a classicist: 2023 Domaine de la Réaltière, Pastel, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence: This wine is “what a Provence rosé should be: delicate yet layered, with touches of faint berries balanced out, but floral and gently spice notes, refreshing, and lingering. A rare, delicious, versatile, terroir-driven, crowd-pleasing Provence rosé in an ocean of insipide cuvées.”
What to try if you are adventurous: 2022 Passofonduto - Giuseppe Cipolla, Occhio di Sale, Sicilia: This wine is “darker and deeper, yet so light; a very unique, saline, crunchy nero d'avola full of wild sloe berry, rosemary, peppercorn, hibiscus, which starts like a red and finishes like a white wine.”
Jean-Georges, New York
Rory Pugh, wine director of Three Michelin Star Jean-Georges, has been with the restaurant for nine years. He’s in charge of the fine dining restaurant’s expansive wine list, which focuses on classics and deep dives into great vintages from historic domaines. He’s currently offering 15 rosés, a half dozen of which are from the classic pink drink region of Provence, France; but one will also find age-worthy bottles and those that are pushing boundaries of the style. What’s to try? Here’s his advice:
What to try if you are a classicist: Domaine Sylvain Pataille, Rosé, Fleur De Pinot, Marsannay, Burgundy, France: This wine is made from mainly “cinsault and grenache. It’s fresh with each acidity, no extra layers. A classic Provençal rosé.”
What to try if you are adventurous: Sylvain Pataille, Fleur de Pinot, Marsannay, France: This wine is “a combination of pinot noir and a local pinot gris grown in the northern Côte de Nuits. It’s aged in oak for two years; this is a serious rosé with immense aging potential.”
Bern’s Steak House, Tampa
As the story goes, Bern’s Steak House has a vast underground cellar rife with old and rare wines, some dating back to the 19th century—in fact it has one of the world’s largest collections, with over half a million bottles from 6,800 producers. While the collection was originally curated 68 years ago by the restaurant’s founder Bern Laxer, today it’s a collaboration between his son, David Laxer, director of wine, Chris Belk, and her team. By way of rosé, the 14 options reach to various parts of the world, which the team offers to pair with their seafood selections. They might suggest:
What to try if you are a classicist: Domaine de L’ile Porquerolles Cotes de Provence France: This wine is “lively and bright, a classic and beautiful example of a Provençal blend.”
What to try if you are adventurous: Feudi di San Gregorio, Visione Rosato, Campania Italy: This wine is “nuanced and a little weighted with delicate floral overtones and a hint of tomato.”
Lilac, Tampa
Nearly two years ago, acclaimed New York chef John Fraser debuted Lilac, a seasonal eastern Mediterranean restaurant in One MICHELIN Key hotel, The Tampa EDITION. Amy Racine is the beverage director for all of his restaurants under the JF Restaurants umbrella, and she’s responsible for Lilac’s 18 rosé options, in addition to those she pours as a beverage pairing alongside the restaurant’s tasting menu. Her wine list is global yet leans into coastal Mediterranean wine producing countries including Turkey, Greece, Italy, France, and Spain. And while the most common rosé comes from France, she likes to serve options from unsuspecting countries like Slovenia and Lebanon, alongside rare bottlings.
What to try if you are a classicist: Another vote for Domaine Sylvain Pataille, Rosé, Fleur De Pinot, Marsannay, Burgundy, France 2019: “I know Provencal rosé is all the rage right now, but I'd argue that this is a wildly classic example of rosé, and specifically a Burgundian rosé. Pataille has been making this dry, herbal, dried floral, and mixed berry nosed rosé since 2002 and it’s one of the best in the world. Every sommelier seeks out this bottle as Sylvain has just two parcels in his vineyard dedicated to this wine and makes it with as much pride as his red and white. It gives Burgundian white and red a run for its money.”
What to try if you are adventurous: Buradan, Şirin, Ovacik-Çeşme, Turkey 2020: “This is one of my favorite wines on the list and it is from Buradan Winery in Çeşme, Turkey. Even though this is a very old, ancient winemaking area, many aren't drinking Turkish wines, let alone their rosé. Çeşme is 500 meters from the sea with clay soils, warm temperatures, and ocean winds. Buradan is a very small organic winery making just 6,000 bottles a year and 80 percent of the production is a grenache rosé. We love it with hearty seafood like octopus or items off the rotisserie at Lilac.”
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