If you prefer French wines and cheese boards over hot dogs and beer, then we’ve got good news: you’ve got a new favorite summer holiday. National Rosé Day (It’s a real thing! I know!) takes place on the second Saturday of June, and was invented by the French rosé brand Bodvár in 2014. And even if you’ve missed it, it’s not too late to plan your own personal Rosé Day.
Now, rosé took a long time to get where it is today. In Kermit Lynch’s 1988 memoir, Adventures on the Wine Route, he famously quoted a major Provençal winemaker as saying that, “a rosé can never be a great wine.” Long snubbed as the illegitimate gray area between red wine and white wine, rosé had a major glow-up in the 2010s, effortlessly gliding onto Instagram feeds on a wave of millennial pink.
With the Rosé All Day era finally relegated back to the Target summer collection where it belongs, we’ve entered a new rosé heyday, one in which producers are carefully and quietly releasing some of the most delicate, mouthwatering rosé wines on the market. And we’ve got a list of some of the best French rosés you can buy right here in the U.S. just in time for National Rosé Day. Pair them with salads, white fish, fresh summer fruits, or chicken roasted with Provençal herbs like rosemary and thyme. You can also check out our guides on how to host the perfect apéro and how to make the cheese board of your dreams for more ideas on how to best enjoy these wines.
Best French Rosés to Buy This Year
Best Rosé for the Beach: Veuve du Vernay Ice Rosé
Veuve du Vernay makes a fresh, fruity, and affordable French sparkling rosé with hints of raspberry and red fruit, designed to be served over ice on a hot day. It comes both as a bottle and as a 6-pack of individually portioned aluminum cans, great for stashing in a cooler on the way to the beach.
Best Rosé for the Park: Picayune Hay Penny Rosé
Picayune Cellars in Napa Valley produces delicate, bang-for-buck stunners from French winemaker Claire Weinkauf. A favorite is their Hay Penny Rosé, a Syrah with notes of watermelon, raspberry, stone fruit, and lavender. This wine is proof that a screwtop bottle is an indicator of ease, not quality, and it makes for a perfect park picnic wine.
Best Rosé for a Rooftop Party: Fleurs de Prairie
Fleurs de Prairie is a bright, citrusy rosé from the Languedoc region whose name comes from the carpets of wildflowers that cover their vineyards in the South of France. A combination of Grenache Noir, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault, and Mourvèdre, this French rosé has notes of red fruit with a tropical finish. At under $20, it’s good enough to transport you to the South of France, but not so expensive you’ll feel inclined to guard it at your next rooftop party.
Best Rosé for Brunch: Forever Young
Forever Young is a French wine company from Real Housewife Bethenny Frankel and French winemaker Valérie Rousselle. Thus, we are dubbing this Provençal rosé our pick for gossiping over Eggs Benedict and debating Botox vs. French pharmacy products. Crafted at Château Roubine, this classic French rosé has notes of strawberry, white peach, and grapefruit, with a minerally, chalky finish, and it comes in a floral-print bottle with a chic glass stopper.
Best Overall Rosé: Berne Inspiration
Château de Berne‘s Inspiration 2022 rosé has consistently been a top-rated Provence rosé, and there’s a reason for it. A blend of his tart, mouthwatering rosé has notes of strawberry, grapefruit, and citrus blossom. Pair it with roast chicken with lemon and Herbs de Provence, seafood pasta, or lobster, and allow this wine to transport you to the rolling vineyards of Provence.
Best Non-Alcoholic French Rosé: French Bloom
For a premium non-alcoholic rosé, turn to French Bloom, a French zero-proof sparkling wine brand whose products are made with organic dealcoholized Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Their Le Rosé is tart and mineral, with notes of rose petal, berries, and peach. Add raspberries or strawberries to your glass for an extra fruity touch.
Catherine Rickman is a writer, professional francophile, and host of the Expat Horror Stories podcast. She is currently somewhere in Brooklyn with a fork in one hand and a pen in the other, and you can follow her adventures on Instagram @catrickman.
