Summer is around the corner and it’s time to rosé all day! Yes, it’s time to drink pink on the patio, oceanside or poolside. We sip it on our deck lakeside on warm evenings, and watch its pretty color match the gorgeous Washington sunset.

Pair food-friendly rosé with seafood, triple-cream cheeses, shellfish, smoked salmon, salads, pasta, grilled chicken, grilled lamb, Asian dishes or red-berry desserts. Or simply drink rosé without food, as a refreshing summer sipper.

Here are seven stellar rosés that we enjoyed — three from Washington state, two from France and one each from Oregon and California.

Hard Row to Hoe Shameless Hussy Rosé 2018, Washington ($25)

Hard Row to Hoe has been one of our favorite Washington wineries for years.This is an aromatic, zesty and clean Grenache-based rosé in the Provence style. A pretty nose leads into flavors of strawberries and cherries, and makes us think of sunny days. This vintage sold out quickly, but the 2019 vintage is available for a reduced price of $20 on the winery’s website.

Utopia VIneyard Pinot Noir Rosé 2019, Oregon ($27)

Utopia Vineyard and Winery is located in the Ribbon Ridge AVA in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. This smooth rosé is bright cranberry in color, with elegance and bright acidity. The nose opens with luscious aromatics of watermelon and strawberries, mirrored by flavors of more watermelon and strawberries, in addition to cherries and expressive spice notes. While food-friendly, this rosé is also strong enough to stand alone. Thank you, Utopia, for the sample.

Lauren Ashton Cellars Rosé 2019, Washington ($21)

Lauren Ashton Cellars 2019 Rosé is a gorgeous start to the season. The latest release exemplifies the high quality of the 2019 rosés in Washington state. Lauren Ashton Rosé blends Grenache (41%), Mourvedre (41%), Cincault (9%) and Counoise (9%), sourced from Lonesome Springs vineyard in the Columbia Valley. Elegant and balanced, this lovely rosé is bright, lively and dry, featuring red berry and citrus flavors as well as spicy notes. Thank you, Lauren Ashton, for the sample.

Succession Wines Rosé 2018, Washington ($26)

Edmunds St. John Bone-Jolly Gamay Noir Rosé 2017, California ($22)

The New York Times named this 2017 rosé as the best rosé in the U.S. We’ve tasted many rosés over the years, and this one definitely deserves the accolades. Berkeley winemaker Steve Edmunds is known in California as the ultimate winemaker’s winemaker. Both the 2017 and 2018 vintages sold out quickly, so keep your eye out for a new release at the Edmunds St. John website.

Domaine Vial-Magneres Le Petit Couscouril Collioure Rosé 2018, France ($10)

What a refreshing sip of rosé for the summer! This Domaine Vial-Magneres wine is a  blend of 80% Black Grenache, 10% Syrah and 10% Carignan Noir from the Languedoc-Roussillon region in France. Fermented in stainless steel vats with native fermentation, this rosé is fresh and crisp. Most noteworthy, blueberry and peach aromas lead into a fruity palate with hints of minerality. Delicious! Thank you for the sample.

Château Peyrassol Rosé 2018, France ($26)

This is an elegant Château Peyrassol rosé from Provence. This unusual blend of Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache, Ugni Blanc and Rolle comes from the oldest grapes in the domaine. Part of the flagship Chateau range, this rosé is somehow both dense and delicate at the same time. Pale in color, typical of the region, this rosé offers citrus, peach, apricot and pear notes. Thank you for the sample.

Summary

In conclusion, we loved these different types of rosés. Moreover, we encourage you to order these wines online from the safety and comfort of your home, utilize curbside pickup services or participate in other creative winery promotions during these tough times.

Of note, our sample policy states that we accept free samples from wineries, and we also personally purchase wine for editorial consideration. Most importantly, we only write about wines we like. if we don’t like them, we do not write about them.

Cheers!
Margot and Dave