16 rosés to pack for a summer picnic
The PourMan
Rosé is an idealway to beat the gray monotony of theworld at certain times of the year (say, wintertime), but it is also great year-round, ushering in shining brightness as soon as you pop open a bottle.
There’s not much more that needs to be said about rosé, except that there’s no better bottle of wine for a picnic than a pink one. Sure, bring your bubbly (and any other styles you enjoy), but make sure there is at least one rosé in your basket or cooler. Good, slightly chilled pink wine is a picnic-essential, if you ask me.
Here are notes froma recent tasting of roséwines. The 16 bottles are listed in ascending order, according to price. More than half of them ring up at $18 or less.
2017 Mont Gravet Rosé. Made fromgrapes sourced in the south of France, this 100 percent cinsault is full of strawberry, incense and herbal notes, with a touch of salinity. $9
2017 Michel TorinoRosé. This delightful wine from Argentina’s Calchaqui Valley offers lip-smacking plum, cherry, tropical fruit notes and a touch of spice. This wine is 100 percent malbec. $11
2017 Santa Julia Malbec Rosé. Another one from Argentina (Mendoza this time), this organicwine has sweet red fruit in abundance, followed by a touch of spice and a clean finish. $11
2017 Santi InfinitoRosé. Grapes for this winewere grown near Italy’s Lake Garda in the Veneto region, There’s no better bottle of wine for a picnic than a pink one — such as these rosés from the Malene and Hecht & Bannier wineries.
resulting in awine full of anise, cherry, strawberry, floral notes and crisp minerality. $13
2017 ChateauMontRedonReserve Cotes du RhoneRosé. Watermelon, stone fruit, fennel, bright acidity and a refreshing wave of ripe citrus lead to a nuttiness on the finish in this one. $15
2017 Tasca Regaleali Le Rosé. FromSicily, here is a wine that offers bursts of strawberry, herbs and floral notes, plusmouthwatering, lively acidity and a clean, crisp finish. $15
2017 Vidal-Fleury Cotes
du RhoneRosé. A lively and fresh blend of cinsault, syrah and grenache, bursting with strawberry and tangerine, plus floral notes and minerality. $15
2017 Hecht& Bannier Cotes de ProvenceRosé. Peach, watermelon, earth, minerality and herbswere deliveredwith a soft mouthfeel and a slowly emerging nuttiness in the long finish. $18
2017 Farmstrong Vineyards FieldRosé. From California’s Redwood Valley, this refreshing wine, made of zinfandel and carignan, offers lively peach, nectarine and even
watermelon rind flavors, wrapped up with a clean finish. $18
2017 Gamble Family VineyardsRosé Wine. A blend of red Bordeaux grapes, this lush and delightfulNapa Valley wine offered floral notes, plus strawberry, dark cherry, figs and nuts. $20
2017 Malene WinesRosé. Strawberry, licorice, peach and a kiss of honey commingle in this California wine. Soft and creamy yet dry and crisp on the finish. $22
2017Domaine Pascal Jolivet Sancerre Rosé.
FromFrance’s Loire Valley, this wine offers bright strawberry, peach and herbal notes, all of it mouthwatering, luscious and clean. $23
2017 Stoller Family Estate Pinot NoirRosé. Strawberry, cream, anise, citrus, a touch of peach and crushed-rock minerality are all present in this lipsmacking wine fromOregon’sWillamette Valley. $25
2017 Gran Moraine Winery Rosé of Pinot Noir. Another one fromOregon, this wine serves up notes of watermelon, almond, earth, citrus and bright acidity, all leading to a crisp finish. $28
2017 Ladera Vineyards Rosé. Peach, watermelon, stone fruit, lime zest and juicy strawberry are joined by a touch of spice in this 100 percent malbec from Napa Valley. $30
2017 Inman Family Wines Endless Crush Rosé of Pinot Noir. From Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, this beautiful wine delivers fresh-cut watermelon, floral notes and minerality, along with rich ripe cherry and strawberry. $38