With springtime comes craving for a fine rosé

The same way that Mariah Carey awakens from the ice each November to ring in holiday cheer, my hankering for rosé wakes up with a vengeance every April 1. Longterm readers will know that I’m decidedly a year-round rosé drinker, but there’s something about waking up to bad April Fool’s Day jokes that kicks my craving into overdrive.

Every year, we’re lucky to have a bevy of new rosé options, but before I pop the cork on those, let’s take a look back at some of the most trusted standards on our local shop shelves.

Wade Cellars Three by Wade Rosé, $18

I’ll admit I’m always skeptical of wines with celebrity connections, but after downing a bottle of this while trading gossip with a friend, I’m ready to admit that Dwayne Wade is good at things other than basketball. Look for effusive notes of cotton candy, rose and nectarine. Grenache is the superstar grape here, and you can taste the picturesque Santa Barbara coast in every sip. Layers of peach, grapefruit, lavender, and a glitzy, precise minerality all come together to produce a rosé that’s as poised as it is carefree, an absolute vibe.

Lorenza Rosé, $23

Year after year, the Lorenza team produces a rosé that’s both light and delicate while still being chock-full of flavor and personality. It’s made from a blend of carignan, cinsaut and grenache. The nose is summer-ready with notes of strawberry, watermelon, kiwi and honeysuckle.

Teutonic Wine Company Raspberry Mushroom Riesling, $25

Teutonic Wine Co. is making some of my favorite wines to come out of Oregon in recent years, and this rosé — riesling juice pressed through red pinot meunier grape skins — is, so far, my favorite domestic rosé of the year. (I already know I’ll regret saying that when the few cases that make their way to Arkansas disappear off the shelves.) I love to see winemakers turning the entire rosé concept on its head, especially when the result is so good.

Matthiasson Rosé, $29

Made from a blend of grenache, syrah, mourvèdre, counoise, barbera, syrah — all of which were grown specifically for making rosé. Look for citrusy aromas and notes of watermelon, peach, strawberry and a brisk, zippy backbone of acid. It’ll pair with anything: sunny skies and a backyard cookout most of all.

Roederer Estate Brut Rosé, $40

I love this wine. It’s one of the rare, never-fails bottles of bubbles under $50. Made from both pinot noir and chardonnay grown in California’s Anderson Valley, this wine delivers finesse without the fuss on a bed of pillowy, featherweight bubbles. File this one under “always delicious,” “pairs with everything,” and “we didn’t buy enough.”

As always, you can see what I’m drinking on Instagram @sethebarlow and send your wine questions and quibbles to sethebarlowwine@gmail.com