It’s the first day of fall and here I am, still drinking rosé! Don’t tell me you’ve consigned pink wine to the summer months, because that would be wrong. With so many regions across the globe making rosés from different varieties, there’s a good diversity of styles—some more structured and with deeper fruit expressions that carry well into the fall. Here are a few to try:
Benziger “de Coelo” rosé of Pinot Noir 2022, Sonoma. Sourced from grapes only five miles from the Pacific Ocean, this wine expresses tangerine and baked strawberry pie. Rich and satisfying, it’s a good comfort wine for fall. Demeter certified from an early biodynamic pioneer in the region.
Bird in Hand rosé of Pinot Noir 2022, South Australia. Tangy and savory with dried raspberry and green leaf on the nose. Shimmery coppery-salmon color, light on its feet and a nice partner to charcuterie, green vegetables that are hard to pair and roasted eggplant.
Conde Valdemar 2022, Rioja DOC. A ripe-fruited rosado made from Garnacha and Mazuelo, this expresses sweet baby strawberries and some tangy lime. Good acid in this medium-bodied rosé that will hold up to fall fare. Pretty flower label makes a nice presentation on the dinner table.
Ehlers Estate “Sylviane” 2022, Napa. After a dried-floral and herbal nose, spice and earth notes prevail, with mature fruit featuring stewed strawberry, candied orange zest and a bit of menthol. A more structured style in this salmon-pink bottle.
Ferrari-Carano Dry Rosé 2022, Sonoma. A Sangiovese-driven blend with Pinot Noir and small amounts of Grenache, Black Muscat and Carignan, produced from grapes mostly sourced from Alexander Valley. Very dry, featuring black cherries and tart cranberries.
Fincas Patagonicas, Osmosis Rosé 2022, Mendoza. This salmon-colored, super-light entry from Argentina is a tangerine dream—tangy and lime-y. Produced from high-altitude vineyards and sustainably farmed. Syrah driven (85%) with Merlot and Bonarda. 85 calories/serving and zero sugar.
Four for fall
Frank Family Vineyards Reserve “Leslie” rosé of Pinot Noir 2022, Carneros. A savory anise-loaded nose gives way on the palate to tart cranberry and raspberry that play with even more savory notes. It’s all underlined by a creamy palate. Sleek and layered with fruit and herbs, a bit of brush and a lime twist on the finish.
Hawkbox rosé of Pinot Noir, “Radian Vineyard” 2022, Santa Rita Hills. This is a fun wine with lots of tart red fruits such as watermelon, raspberry along with some earthy notes. There’s an unfiltered quality to it – not quite funky like a natural wine, but a pleasantly off-beat taste profile. From Lang & Reed winery.
The Mill Keeper 2022, Napa. This bottle pays homage to the first mill keepers in wine country, and is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, 7% Grenache, the rest split between Malbec and Petite Sirah. It’s tart and easy to drink, showing strawberry, cranberry and red currant with maybe just a tad of a confectionary note. From the Gamble Family Vineyard.
Oasis di Feudo Maccari Rosato, Sicilia IGP. A fun party bottle. A little creaminess underlying the tarragon note, this is more herbal and savory than upfront fruity. But what fruit is there leans toward sour cherry and some tropical notes. Made of Nero d’Avola, one of Sicily star wines.
Four more for fall
OG de Negoce “Lot 366” rosé of Grenache 2021, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara County. Vibrant tangerine and savory notes wrapped in a medium-bodied envelope. Has nice appeal as an aperitif with charcuterie or as a partner to roasted wild-caught salmon. By the same producer, the “Lot 333” rosé made from Nerello Mascalese (Terre Sicilia IGT), has plenty of earthy notes, mouth-watering acid, darker tart red fruits like cranberry and garden notes such as rhubarb.
Spicewood Vineyards rosé of Sangiovese 2022, Texas Hill Country. Tangy tropical fruits laced through a strawberry field. A bit earthy, a bit creamy and a medium body that pairs up with light meals like turkey burgers, or washes down some cheddar goldfish crackers, as I did
Tank Garage Winery “Mirror Play” 2022, Sierra Foothills. Tangy with pink grapefruit, life, fresh and fun. Sexy label (many of their labels are inventive or provocative). A blend of almost equal parts of Mourvedre, Grenache and Cinsault.
Tormaresca Calafuria 2022, Puglia. Cherry all the way in this darker-hued medium-bodied southern Italian rosé made from Negroamaro, one of Puglia’s signature grapes. Strawberry and watermelon star with other red fruits and plenty of acidity to carry this from start to finish.