What Your Favorite Rosé Wine Style Says About Your Summer Plans

Forbes

2 days ago

Rosé isn't one-style-fits-all anymore.
Rosé may be the most self-expressive category in wine. It's not just about grape or region—though those matter—but about style, tone and intent. Pale and dry? Deep pink with grip? Fizzy and unfiltered?
Unlike red or white, rosé has become shorthand for summer. It's what you bring to the picnic, what you drink on vacation and what shows up in the group text. As the category continues to stretch—across price points and winemaking styles—so does its connection to personality.
And while the global wine industry has been tumultuous lately, the rosé wine segment continues to grow. The global rosé wine market was valued at $3.1 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $4.6 billion by 2030.
These days, there's a rosé for every kind of drinker, from the natural wine obsessive to the person who still orders White Zinfandel unabashedly. (Drink what you want responsibly.)
The rise of regional variety has only added to the range. A grenache-syrah blend from the South of France doesn't land the same way as a pét-nat from the Finger Lakes or a structured Tavel built for food. But preference isn't always just about taste. Rosé choices tend to reflect mood, occasion and the kind of summer someone wants to have.
This is not a quiz. There are no right answers. But the style of rosé you reach for might say more than you think. Are you planning rooftop parties or staying in with a new playlist? Do you want something bright and sparkling or something strange and cloudy with a wax-sealed bottle? There's a rosé for that—and probably a plan to go with it.
Here are five popular (and some might even say basic) styles and what they suggest about your season ahead. Some are social, some are quiet and some are just thirsty. But they're all signals of how rosé has become more than a drink. It's shorthand. It's self-selecting. It's summer, in a bottle.
A classic pale pink rosé remains the go-to for warm days, cool nights and everything in between.
Dry, mineral and whisper-pink. You booked the same beach house in the Hamptons for the third year running. Your outfits are linen, your nails are neutral and your carry-on always fits the overhead bin.
Summer Plans: Alfresco dinners, early-morning running and debating whether to switch from salad to flatbread.
Suggested Bottles:
Chateau D'Estoublon 'Roseblood' Rose
Chateau Peyrassol Rosé
Château Sainte Marguerite Symphonie Rosé
Domaine Rouge-Bleu Dentelle Rosé
Old Vine Ranch Rosé
Clinking glasses at sunset.
Bubbly, crisp and often pinot-based. You RSVP yes to everything, even if the plans overlap. Your calendar is color-coded, your group chats are named and your fridge always has something chilled just in case.
Summer Plans: Weddings, long brunches, rooftop drinks and any event that calls for a toast—even if it's just making it to Friday.
Suggested Bottles:
Champagne Ayala Rosé Majeur
Juvé & Camps Brut Rosé Pinot Noir NV
Langlois Crémant de Loire Rosé Brut
McBride Sisters Collection Sparkling Brut Rose Hawke's Bay NV
Supernova Brut Rosé
Tavel rosé, deeper in color and fuller in body, stands apart as one of the only French appellations dedicated solely to rosé.
Ripe red fruit and a fuller body. You want flavor, structure and wines that pair with actual meals. You can drink red year-round regardless of how hot it is outside and you only entertain on your own turf.
Summer Plans: Real glassware, weeknight grilling and never asking for ice.
Suggested Bottles:
Cantina Zaccagnini Cerasuolo D'Abruzzo Rosé
Cordero San Giorgio Piasa Rosato
E. Guigal Tavel Rose
La Nerthe Les Cassagnes Côtes-du-Rhône Rosé
Masciarelli Villa Gemma Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Cerasuolo Rosé
Cloudy, funky and a little unpredictable.
Cloudy, unfiltered and maybe a little wild. You like your wines a little weird and your summers loose on structure. You never travel with an itinerary.
Summer Plans: Vinyl nights, farmers markets and spontaneous weekend hikes with limited cell service.
Suggested Bottles:
Buccia Nera ConFondo Pét-Nat Rosato
Domaine de la Mongestine Les Monges Rosé BIO
La Grange Tiphaine "Rosa, Rose, Rosam" Pét-Nat
Martha Stoumen Post Flirtation Rosé NV No. 3
Meinklang 'Prosa'Frizzante Rosé
Often dismissed but never forgotten, White Zinfandel remains a cult classic.
Sweet, fruity and nostalgic. You're unbothered by wine snobs and more interested in what tastes good to you. You don't pretend to like something just because it's trending.
Summer Plans: Pool parties, loud playlists and turning 'just one' into an entire afternoon.
Suggested Bottles:
Broc Cellars Love Rosé
Day Wines 'Babycheeks' Rosé
Monte Rio Cellars 'Teresi' Rose of Zinfandel
Sabelli-Frisch 'Mariedam' White Zinfandel
Turley Wine Cellars White Zinfandel