16 rosés to pack for a summer picnic

Rosé is an ideal way to beat the gray monotony of the world 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 from a recent tasting of rosé wines. The 16 bottles are listed in ascending order, according to price. More than half of them ring up at $18 or less. Made from grapes sourced in the south of France, this 100 percent cinsault is full of strawberry, incense and herbal notes, with a touch of salinity. $9 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

Another one from Argentina (Mendoza this time), this organic wine has sweet red fruit in abundance, followed by a touch of spice and a clean finish. $11 Grapes for this wine were grown near Italy’s Lake Garda in the Veneto region, resulting in a wine full of anise, cherry, strawberry, floral notes and crisp minerality. $13

Watermelon, stone fruit, fennel, bright acidity and a refreshing wave of ripe citrus lead to a nuttiness on the finish in this one. $15

From Sicily, here is a wine that offers bursts of strawberry, herbs and floral notes, plus mouthwatering, lively acidity and a clean, crisp finish. $15

A lively and fresh blend of cinsault, syrah and grenache, bursting with strawberry and tangerine, plus floral notes and minerality. $15 Peach, watermelon, earth, minerality and herbs were delivered with a soft mouthfeel and a slowly emerging nuttiness in the long finish. $18

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 A blend of red Bordeaux grapes, this lush and delightful Napa Valley wine offered floral notes, plus strawberry, dark cherry, figs and nuts. $20 Strawberry, licorice, peach and a kiss of honey commingle in this California wine. Soft and creamy yet dry and crisp on the finish. $22 From France’s Loire Valley, this wine offers bright strawberry, peach and herbal notes, all of it mouthwatering, luscious and clean. $23 Strawberry, cream, anise, citrus, a touch of peach and crushed-rock minerality are all present in this lipsmacking wine from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. $25 Another one from Oregon, this wine serves up notes of watermelon, almond, earth, citrus and bright acidity, all leading to a crisp finish. $28

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

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

ABEL URIBE/CHICAGO TRIBUNE; SHANNON KINSELLA/STYLING 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.