Top 10 rosé wines

Dry rosé is popular, particularly during the summer months. Its style, traditionally dry and light, appeals both to white and red wine drinkers seeking something cool and refreshing to help beat the heat. Winemakers produce rosé by preventing the red grapes from extended contact with the juice which gives red wines their robust flavor and tannic structure or as a result of the saignée process. The Mediterranean nations, most notably France, Italy and Spain, reign supreme in rosé production, but an increasing number of American wineries have begun producing world-class rosé wines. Click here for photos and ratings of the Top 10 Rosé Wines http://www.gayot.com/wine/top10roses/main.html?utm_campaign=rose&utm_medium=link&utm_source=fox

Ameztoi 2010 Rubentis Rosé Getariako Txakolina
Spain
Price: $19

A lovely, lightly fizzy, low-alcohol pink, this wine is practically a Basque summer in a bottle. Its color is a pale blush, created from a small amount of white grapes blended into the red. Its flavors are light and hint at ripe berries with refreshing citrus. Try it with simple fish dishes, with an egg-based brunch or with sheeps' milk cheeses. Enjoy the Top 10 Wines Under $20

Goldeneye 2011 Vin Gris of Pinot Noir
Anderson Valley, California
Price: $28

A Duckhorn Wine Company brand, Goldeneye specializes in Pinot Noir produced at their estate winery in Mendocino County's Anderson Valley. Their Vin Gris of Pinot Noir showcases the lighter side of the famously delicate Burgundian varietal. On the nose, it displays fragrant aromas of ruby red grapefruit, strawberry and watermelon. In the mouth, the wine is crisp and acidic, yet balanced by a slight sweetness.

Château Bonnet 2010 Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé
Bordeaux, France
Price: $15

This is rosé made in a truly classic style with rose-pink color, medium body, fruity flavors yet a dry finish. It is simple, food-friendly and exactly what you would hope for from a modestly-priced rosé. The wine works very well with picnic foods like cold, fried chicken, potato salad and pound cake but it should work fairly well with any summer food you're craving.

Château de Trinquevedel 2010 Tavel Cuvée Traditionnelle
Rhône, France
Price: $16

A vibrant, ruby pink, this wine's color echoes its content. Complex, robust yet surprisingly elegant, this very sophisticated rosé offers restrained strawberry, tart cherry, pomegranate and honeysuckle aromas and flavors with citrus acidity and a note of bone dry, mouthwatering minerality on the finish. Serve this absolute classic with traditional southern French foods like ratatouille, fresh goats' milk cheeses, steamed mussels or simply a dish of Niçoise olives.

Falesco 2010 Vitiano Rosato
Umbria, Italy
Price: $10

We think this is one of the summer's best buy wines. It packs intense flavor and complexity for its $10 price tag, with rose petal and strawberry candy aromas, tart berry and stone fruit flavor with a hint of minerality on the lingering finish. An extremely food-friendly wine, dry yet robustly fruity, it will work with a variety of foods. Serve it with anything from spice-rubbed, grilled chicken, pork or even lamb to tuna Niçoise or a grilled vegetable platter. Check out the Top 10 Wines Under $10

Graham Beck 2007 Brut Rosé
Robertson & Stellenbosch, South Africa
Price: $18

This well-priced bubbly is a pretty shade of pale salmon with a fine mousse and light, floral aromas. Citrus and strawberry are dominant flavors with a rich sweetness that sits pleasantly on the mid-palate. The wine lingers relatively long with a slight caramel, nutty note. Serve with classic brunch fare, a picnic of cold, herb-rubbed pork and fruit salad or on its own to toast the sunset at the end of a long day.

Martian Ranch & Vineyard 2009 Grenache Rosé
Santa Ynez Valley, California
Price: $22

Made in a particularly robust style of rosé, this wine boasts a gorgeous, deep ruby color. On the nose, it offers cherry candy and wild strawberry aromas. It is mouth-filling without being too robust, with berry flavors and a pleasing cranberry bitterness at the back of the palate. Serve with wood-fired pizzas, grilled beef, falafel, fish tacos or just about any other full-bodied summer food.

Lasseter Family Winery 2010 Enjoué
Sonoma Valley, California
Price: $24

A boutique, eco-friendly winery in Sonoma Valley, Lasseter includes 95 acres of organically-farmed vineyards. Their 2010 Enjoué (French for "joyful") is composed of 64 per cent Syrah, 31 per cent Mourvèdre and 5 per cent Grenache. On the nose, it offers a fragrant bouquet of fresh strawberry, ruby red grapefruit and mango. In the mouth, this well-structured and refreshing rosé reveals a racy acidity and enduring finish.

Tasca d'Almerita NV Regaleali Le Rose
Sicily, Italy
Price: $12

Made from indigenous Sicilian grapes, this bone-dry yet utterly juicy wine is a surprise to the palate. Bright acidity and cherries dominate on both the nose and in the mouth, but the wine is big enough to work well with surprisingly rich foods from grilled meats to fettuccine with summer tomatoes to turkey meatloaf.

Villa Creek 2010 Pink
Paso Robles, California
Price: $14

This is an extremely interesting wine in a style you just don't find in American rosé. A beautiful salmon color, it is light-bodied with subtle honey and rose petal aromas, bright red fruit flavors on the mid-palate and a dry, mineral finish. Subtly attractive, it is refreshing on its own or try it with light, summery foods like a cold, poached salmon salad, country pâté or asparagus quiche.

MORE ON GAYOT.com
More Top Rosé Wines  
Top 10 Rosé Champagnes 
Top 10 Brunch Wines