We tried Meghan Markle's new As Ever rosé in a blind taste test. It wasn't what we expected, but we'd buy it again.

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3 days ago

Meghan Markle's As Ever brand released its first wine, a rosé from Napa Valley.
A group of Business Insider reporters tasted it in a blind test, comparing it to three other rosés.
As Ever's flavor was unexpected, but we'd definitely buy the rosé again.
"Rosé all day" is more than a phrase. It's a mantra, a lifestyle, and — some might even say — a call to action.
Meghan Markle answered that call when her lifestyle brand As Ever released a rosé on July 1.
The wine space is getting more crowded by the day, particularly as more celebrities join the fray, and I, for one, couldn't wait to see how Meghan made her rosé stand out.
Meghan Markle is in her wine-making era.
The Duchess of Sussex launched her As Ever brand in the spring, selling items like fruit spreads, high-end honey, and flower petal sprinkles.
As Ever's first two product drops sold out within an hour, and in June, the company announced it was debuting its first-ever wine, a 2023 Napa Valley Rosé curated by Meghan.
As Ever said its rosé is supposed to taste "crisp" and has notes of "stone fruit, gentle minerality, and a lasting finish," much like Provençal rosés from France.
The rosé retails for $30 on As Ever's website, and it sold out almost immediately after going on sale on July 1. The bottles are only available in packs of three, six, or twelve, so it costs consumers at least $90 to taste Meghan's rosé. As Ever has not yet announced if or when it'll restock the rosé.
Because royals and rosé are two of my greatest passions, I knew I had to try As Ever's wine.
I've been writing about the royal family and Meghan for years. I've also been closely following As Ever over the past few months as Meghan further expands into the lifestyle space.
Plus, I'm a big rosé fan when I'm off the clock, so I knew I had to try Meghan's wine when it was released.
I decided the best way to experience As Ever's rosé would be in a blind taste test, comparing it to a few other popular rosés on the market.
I got a few of my colleagues to participate in the taste test with me.
I didn't think it would be fair to assess the wines by myself, especially because I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to rosé. Give me a glass of pink, cold wine, and I'll be a happy camper.
Three of my colleagues graciously volunteered to spend a Tuesday afternoon drinking with me. (They are such givers, I know.)
Here's a quick rundown of why you can trust us. Spoiler alert: The main qualification is that we like drinking wine.
Callie Ahlgrim, senior pop culture writer: I did work at a wine bar for like a year, but that was a long, long time ago. And since then, I drink wine recreationally and copiously.
Samantha Rollins, deputy editor of entertainment and real estate: I'm a wine enthusiast who has been to France, the rosé capital of the world, in my opinion. So that's my only qualification.
Joi-Marie McKenzie, editor in chief, Life: I'm a new wine lover. I did not drink wine that much in my 20s. I love Rieslings and rosés, and I just got into red. So I think I would be quite picky because I'm sort of new to the whole thing.
Samantha Pettyjohn, senior lifestyle reporter (me): I love rosé, especially in the summer. I'm also well-versed in Meghan Markle and went to California wine country on my honeymoon.
We sampled four rosés total, including another celebrity brand.
For the taste test, I selected three wines in addition to As Ever, choosing rosés that were pretty similar in price point to Meghan's.
It seemed only fitting to include another celebrity brand, so I chose Côtes de Provence Rosé from Château Miraval, Brad Pitt's wine company. Pitt's Provençal-style rosé cost $23.88.
Next, I selected the $22.49 Summer Water Rosé, which is made on the California coast and offers a slightly different experience with a screw cap.
Finally, I included Whispering Angel, one of the most popular rosés on the market. It's a personal favorite of mine and is made in the Provençal-style like As Ever. It was $22.96.
As Ever ended up being the most expensive wine of the bunch, which wasn't surprising considering it isn't widely available like the others.
We kept the test completely blind.
For the test, I put a piece of tape on the bottom of each wine glass with "A," "B," "C," or "D" written on it, which corresponded to one of the wines. The code was:
A: Summer Water
B: As Ever
C: Whispering Angel
D: Château Miraval
The wine was poured out of sight and given to us in a random order, so we didn't know which rosé we were tasting.
Brad Pitt's rosé wasn't a hit with our group.
First, we tried Miraval's rosé, aka Brad Pitt's wine, aka "wine D" during the test. The flavor was a bit intense for some of us.
McKenzie: It's good to me.
Ahlgrim: It has kind of a sharp aftertaste.
Rollins: It's honestly kind of bitter. I usually like bitter things, but it's a little too bitter.
Pettyjohn: I like it. It's sharp, and I wish I had some cheese to eat with it. It has a champagne-y flavor.
McKenzie: And that, to me, resonates.
Rollins: There's something about it that I don't really like.
Pettyjohn: If a bottle were offered to me, I would certainly have a glass, if not two.
McKenzie: It'd be perfect for hot weather.
Ahlgrim: I think it's more of a dinner wine than a relaxing by the pool kind of wine.
Summer Water tasted the most like a classic rosé to us.
Next, we tried Summer Water, known to us as "wine A." We immediately noticed that it had a pinker hue and a distinct aroma. As we took our first sip, it was easy to see why.
Pettyjohn: Oh, that is way more berry-forward.
Rollins: It's a little more effervescent.
Pettyjohn: This is definitely more pool vibes to me.
McKenzie: This is a better wine.
Ahlgrim: Lighter.
McKenzie: I didn't notice the aftertaste being that sharp on D, but now, this has no aftertaste, and I'm like, "This is better."
Ahlgrim: I like a funkier, tangier wine, but I think most people expect rosé to be a bit sweeter and smoother. So I think this fits what people reach for when they reach for a rosé, more so than the first one.
McKenzie: As a sweet enthusiast, it has my vote.
Ahlgrim: I don't know if I would spend $30 on it because it feels like such easy drinking.
Rollins: To me, this is giving rosé all day. There ain't nothing wrong with it.
As Ever took us by surprise.
As Ever was the third wine we tried, under the alias "wine B." It had the most unexpected flavor profile of the bunch.
Ahlgrim: Oh, I like the smell. This smells more expensive.
Pettyjohn: This tastes expensive. But it doesn't taste like rosé to me. It's good, but it is not what I would expect.
Rollins: This is like a very dry white, maybe.
McKenzie: It has a very bold flavor.
Ahlgrim: I actually like that I don't think it tastes like a rosé. It's much bolder than I expected. I feel like it's aged.
Rollins: There's something oaky about it.
Pettyjohn: It's fancy.
Ahlgrim: It's earthy, almost.
McKenzie: It tastes like a chardonnay. It is giving oak chardonnay.
Whispering Angel had the group split.
The final wine of the test was Whispering Angel, which we labeled "wine C." It was a hit or miss vibe for the testers.
Pettyjohn: I do like this one. This is what I would consider easy rosé drinking.
Ahlgrim: Oh, this is bland.
McKenzie: It's very harsh on my tongue. I don't prefer this at all.
Rollins: Really? This one seems like an easier drinking version of B and D.
McKenzie: This one? I don't like it at all. I just taste more of the alcoholic taste, which I don't love.
Ahlgrim: Yes, I think there's very little flavor, and it's more alcohol-forward. This is my least favorite of the four.
Rollins: I feel like this one splits the difference between all of them. It's got a bit of the berry of the other ones, but it's still dry, and it's got the rosé.
Ahlgrim: If somebody gave me a glass of this by the pool, I would drink it, but I would not opt for this if I had the other options.
We revisited all four wines before the reveal.
While we still didn't know which wine was which, we compared them to each other, referring to them by their letter code.
Overall, our takeaway was that Summer Water was the best for casual rosé drinking, thanks to its light and berry flavor, but the taste of As Ever's wine stood out for being unexpected and refreshing.
Miraval sat in the middle of the pack, while Whispering Angel was too alcohol-forward for McKenzie and Ahlgrim.
After the big reveal, we loved that As Ever wasn't what we expected from Meghan.
When we finally found out which wine was which, we were all surprised that "wine B" was As Ever.
Ahlgrim: Oh, that's the one that doesn't taste like rosé! It's weird, and I like that.
McKenzie: It was my number two favorite!
Ahlgrim: As Ever was my top in terms of what I like in a wine. I like a weirder flavor, but I think Summer Water is more rosé-y. But if I saw As Ever at the store, I would buy it again.
Pettyjohn: Me too. I would buy this again, and I think it would be nice if you paired it with fruit or cheese — that vibe. If you brought this to a party, your friends would be like, "Oh, the rosé you brought is so good. Where did you get it?"
Rollins: I would be curious to drink it in a cup, like in one of the "Love Is Blind" cups, where you can't see what color it is, and just be like, "What does that taste like to you?"
Ahlgrim: I admire that Meghan didn't take the easiest route. So many celebrities have an alcohol brand, so I think it was bold of her to do something that does not taste like every other rosé on the market.
Pettyjohn: If I put my Meghan Scholar hat on, I also feel this reflects her as a flavor. You think you're going to get one thing, but then she surprises you, and it's a really lovely flavor, even if it's not necessarily what you were expecting.
McKenzie: It's something that I would order again.
Pettyjohn: Me too.
McKenzie: Her rosé beats Brad Pitt's.
Ahlgrim: 100%.
We took a closer look at the As Ever bottle after the taste test.
Once we knew which wine it was, we checked out the As Ever bottle. Its 14.5% alcohol content — the highest of the four — surprised us, particularly because it didn't taste too alcohol-forward. We also liked that the wine seemed versatile.
Ahlgrim: It is the best bang for your buck if you're looking for the highest alcohol content.
McKenzie: 14.5% is pretty high.
Ahlgrim: That surprises me because because of how alcohol-forward I felt like the Whispering Angel was. I expected that to be the highest.
Pettyjohn: I like to make a rosé sangria, and I think As Ever would be good with that.
Ahlgrim: Ooh, with a bit of prosecco or seltzer in it? Yeah, because the flavor is so strong, it would lend itself well to a mix.
Pettyjohn: Yes, exactly.
Ahlgrim: It's not a poolside rosé. It's like a charcuterie rosé.
Pettyjohn: I can see Meghan on her patio, talking to one of her friends, and drinking it.
Three out of the four of us could see ourselves buying As Ever.
Ahlgrim, McKenzie, and I said we would buy As Ever down the line, though we want people to know they shouldn't expect a classic rosé flavor. Rollins had reservations, especially because the bottles are only available in three, six, or 12 packs.
Rollins: As Ever was interesting, but I definitely wouldn't order three bottles because of the price and strong flavor. You really have to love the flavor.
Pettyjohn: I would buy it! When I went to Sonoma, one winery had a rosé you could try, and it was very similar to this. It didn't taste how you expected a rosé to taste, but it was good.
McKenzie: It's a good wine. I would order it again. It was my top two. It tastes like a chardonnay, and I don't mind that.
Ahlgrim: The Summer Water would be what I would drink on a Saturday during the day in the summer. Then I would switch to Meghan's at night.
Pettyjohn: I couldn't have said it better myself.
I tried As Ever's rosé at home and loved it even more.
A few days after the official taste test, I revisited As Ever rosé, pouring a glass for myself and my husband.
I gave it a sniff, inhaling that full-bodied, almost orange wine-like scent that surprised me during the test. It was inviting and bright, and as I took a sip, I was delighted that As Ever tasted even more refreshing and crisp than I remembered. My husband was a fan, too, and I had to remind myself not to drink it too quickly over dinner.
Meghan's rosé is a hit in my book, and I'm intrigued to see how her foray into the wine industry continues. Cheers!
Read the original article on Business Insider
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