What’s the matter with rosé?
Wait! Don’t go away! Yes, you, and you, and you: Whenever I mention pink wine, lots of readers tune out. And I have to wonder, what’s not to like?
The easy response, particularly if I was the type to fret about nerdy business metrics like engagement, reach and growth, would be to stop writing about rosé. There’s plenty of red and white wine around! But why would I want to do that? I love a good, quality rosé, now and then, and even more so when in summetime, humid and hot.
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First of all – and yes, this does sound a bit like Mom warning her teens about hanging out with the wrong people – rosé’s reputation has likely suffered by the company it keeps. When White Zinfandel became wildly popular back in the ’70s, it became popular for exactly the reasons that would make many wine lovers shun it: Nicknamed “blush” for its bright pink color, most of it was simple, sweet, an alcoholic soft drink for grown-ups; oh, yeah, and it was (and still is) cheap.
Even before blush wines hit the market, rosé had a hard time winning much respect. It was relatively easy and quick to make and made good use of the so-so red grapes that just weren’t good enough to go into the winery’s top products.
The wine maker could pop these less desirable grapes into a vat, start making red wine, but siphon the wine off the crushed grapes as soon as it took on enough color to look pretty.
And, simply put, because decent rosé has historically been marketed as a light, frivolous quaff best enjoyed al fresco in summer’s heat, it hasn’t grown much beyond that reputation. And a pricey, fancy rosé – we’re looking at you, pink Champagne – still gets branded as frivolous.
Provence is known for its rosé wines, its fields of lavender, and of course its food and wine. Image from Purple Reign: Lavender and Provence in FranceToday.com.
But doggone it, a well-made, crisp and dry rosé from a region that knows how to make it can be a revelation: Fresh, clean, and pure, but still complex and interesting, a wine that can go very well with food but is also just fine for sipping on its own.
When I’m looking for a good quality rosé that passes wine-enthusiast muster, I usually head straight to Provence, where more than half of the wine produced is pink, and they’ve been making it for so long that they have the process down.
This week’s featured wine, Domaine Du Grand Cros 2024 Jules Méditerranée Rosé Sec, is a really good example. A typical Provence blend of Cinsault and Grenache grapes, it boasts an appetizing aroma of mixed fruit and flowers and a crisp, dry, food-friendly flavor that should pass muster with the most critical wine lover.
Now, here’s the sad news: at this time, this wine is only available at retail in Ohio and Kentucky through a regional importer, WineCRAFT, in Cincinnati. Wine-Searcher.com isn’t currently listing U.S. vendors, but you can follow this link for updates.
Fortunately, if you really want to explore good rosé check out these databases:
• Crisp and dry rosé wines in the Provence style from around the world.
• Provence and its wines.
• Wines and vendors from France’s which incorporate Provence, Corsica, and a bit of the Southern Rhône:
Lots of wine lovers look down on rosé. What’s your take on pink wine?
Today’s Tasting Report
Domaine Du Grand Cros 2024 Jules Méditerranée Rosé Sec ($14.99)
Jules Méditerranée Rosé Sec, is a clear, light gold wine with just a touch of pink. A complex mix of appetizing scents rise from the glass. A breath of white flowers, a whiff of mango and peach, a distinct zing of grapefruit and more elusive aromas swirl and take turns calling for your attention. Flavors bear out the nose’s promise, floral and peachy, with plenty of gentle acidity for balance. 12.5% alcohol. U.S. importer: WineCRAFT, Cincinnati, Ohio. (Aug. 2, 2025)
FOOD MATCH: This versatile rosé works well in many settings: Sipped cool on a hot summer day or served with salads, seafood, fried chicken, barbecue, plant-based Asian cuisine or spicy fare. It was a delight with stuffed green peppers with a dash or two of a mild, gentle chile pepper sauce.
WHEN TO DRINK: Crisp, dry Southern French rosé is never better than when it’s young and fresh. Drink up, and look for the 2025 vintage next year.
VALUE:
This is a lovely and characteristic Provence rososé, well worth its mid-teens price.
WEB LINK:
Here’s a link (in English) to producer Domaine du Grand Cros’ info page on the Jules Rosé. For background on the producer, use this link to view the Domaine du Grand Cros website in English.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
As noted, this wine is only available through WineCRAFT, a regional importer in a limited U.S. market. Wine-Searcher.com isn’t currently listing U.S. vendors, but you can follow this link for updates.
Meanwhile, these Wine-Searcher links offer plenty of alternatives:
• Crisp and dry rosé wines in the Provence style from around the world.
• Provence and its wines.
• Wines and vendors from France’s which incorporates Provence, Corsica, and a bit of the Southern Rhône:
Find the wines you want
Explore Wine-Searcher
Wine-Searcher.com is the place to go online if you want to find where to buy a particular wine that interests you. What’s more, Wine-Searcher.com offers so much more. It’s well worth a visit just to discover its many features, including its popular list of the world’s Top 10 Best Value Wines.
Good wines we’ve tried under $10.99!
Want tips to find more good, inexpensive wines? Here are Wine-Searcher links to vendors and prices for a bunch more wines for $10.99 or less that I’ve told you about in recent years. In some cases, the prices may have risen over the $10.99 mark since I reviewed them, but they should still be excellent bargains. Please tell us about your favorites!
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Funny story. In 1988 when I first started dating my wife, we went to Kermit Lynch's store in Berkeley. I put a bottle of Tempier rosé in our basket. My date, who worked for a large Napa winery, said words to the effect of "I ain't drinking no stinkin' blush" (OK I may have exaggerated for dramatic effect).
Roll on six years and we were making rosé in the south of France. Languedoc rather than Bandol. And our US importer..... none other than Kermit Lynch.
I still make rosé when I can but ripening the grapes for it is much more hit and miss where we are now (Rias Baixas).