Give me a Rose I will buy $10–$20. I refuse & can’t afford to spend more on pretty non-serious Rose!
I have had a few good Rosés from Sonoma, Mendocino and elsewhere in California. Good wines but too expensive. I am on roll with affordable Bandols and other Provencal rosés. Outstanding and it won't break the bank.
There are quite a bit of more expensive Bandols at Kermit Lynch and my other (and now former) go to wine shop klwines. But I am not buying $25-30 Bandols...or north of $10 CA Rosés.
Why bother to discuss wines that cannot be found outside NY? Or another perspective is why should I bother reading the article.
1
Regarding prices: As anyone in the biz will tell you, the secret of success in Napa, Sonoma, and other appellations in the West is to make sure that your great-grandparents bought the land. Even if you're a tech jillionaire and bought land with a pro forma that required you to sell your wines at $25/bottle. I can get a very nice rosé from the Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, made by Jerome Quiot, whose family has been making quality wines for 250 years, for $11.99. The West Coast is never, ever going to be able to deliver that quality at that price.
Regarding "seriousness": Can't you please leave rosé alone? Can't we drink a category of wine without it needing to be a vin du contemplation? Tell you what, I'll stipulate that the Domaine Tempier rosé and the Lopez de Heredia rosés are serious. They are. But jeez, when I'm outdoors and taking things easy, the last thing I want to do is swirl and sniff. As Terry Theise has written, sometimes you just want to taste it, say "Yeah, that's good!" and then get on with whatever else it is you're doing.
2
YEA!!
1
Just back from an extended stay in Provence, where we (my husband and I) drank a bottle of rose every day. It was all of 6 euros a bottle and we found it a the local supermarket.
We would come back from our day's activities, lay out a spread of cheeses, saucissons, a baguette and the rose. And then, much later, go out and have dinner. And more rose.
I never would have thought to drink rose here, preferring pinot noir. But this piece has me reconsidering.
If only I could find my Provencal rose in California...
But at 6 euros a bottle, doesn't seem very likely.
1
Simply put, in general California wines are over rated and overpriced. I have recently found Spanish rosado.
4
In the NY region, at least, I've found that California wines are at leas 50% more expensive than their French and Italian counterpart, to say nothing of the incredibly delicious bargains that are Spanish and South Americans wine. While I'm more of a red wine drinker, I've found white rioja is an excellent summer wine. But it's perplexing and slightly ridiculous that domestic wines are so much more expensive than imported.
1
Most good roses are some of the driest wines out there, and the salinity makes the lips pucker and gives it some zest. I can see why saline would be used to describe a good rose.
Will someone please explain what people are buying when they buy “good cheap wine” <$12?! You are getting a manufactured beverage equivalent to coca-cola. You are getting zero hard work by a farmer who’s passion is wine then profit. I really wish someone would create a simple free class to educate the masses on what they are drinking. If it’s what you can afford fine. But don’t degrade a farmers hard work because you think it’s over priced. You’re paying for quality not quantity, sweat not machines, a families income not a conglomerates stock.
You think you’re drinking 100% CA, or WA wine when it’s probably blended with wine from South America, Spain or Portugal.
Hi Chris
Since I started the jam pile on >$25 Rose, I felt I should respond to your well-placed comment. I certainly didn't mean to promote cheap industrial wine, which I find even more abhorrent for all the reasons you point out and more. I just think that while there are many good-quality farmer-run wineries in the US (especially in Oregon), many of them are charging more for their wines than they are worth- RELATIVE TO what you can get from European farmer-made wineries. And there are increasingly more US importers who are capitalizing on finding and marketing these wines here in the US. And doing a fine job of it. There are certainly a number of reasons for this price/quality disparity that are out of the control of US producers- including land values, European subsidies, currency differences, etc. But I also think many US operators become over-capitalized, with investments in fancy tasting rooms and other luxury developments associated with their winery, too many new oak barrels, too much unnecessary irrigation, etc. What appeals to me about the Euros that I prefer is they focus on growing grapes and making wine with the fewest necessary inputs- and yes, I prefer those that hew toward more "natural" means. I also find that the results are more to my taste stylistically (leaner, brighter, more place-driven wines) and they are often less expensive.
3
So while I wholeheartedly agree with your point about supporting farmer-made wines, and I will try to support my American friends who are doing things the right way, I just find that the European farmers are by and large making better wine and selling it for less money.
2
Educate the masses... wow... Who are you but one of the masses?
A very many fantastic food products are mass produced and absolutely delicious. And wine is just that, a food product. There are millions of people who discern what they are drinking and enjoy sub-$12 wine without being seduced by a price tag.
Blind taste test after blind taste test shows there is only very thin correlation to price and enjoyment. When are the snobs ever going to learn?
4
Eric, you mention that you tasted NY wines, but not a single recommendation? Here in the Finger Lakes they are making some wonderful rose at a reasonable price point, $10 to $15. Red Tail Ridge, Hermann Wiemer and Fox Run all come to mind. Is this once again downstate ignorance of what is happening upstate? Of course, undiscovered jewels then remain more available for us wine lovers up north. Cheers!
2
@Kim Macari Vineyards is located in New York
Eric, While I think your tone intends to be cynical — toward the companies that produce and market millions of gallons pink plonk for the masses — it came off as "snobbishly pedantic" instead.
Believe it or not, there are readers here with more pedestrian budgets who know the difference between a prettily-packaged lifestyle beverage and a bottle of good, really enjoyable wine.
Rosé IS wonderful, and it would be great if this story advocated for everyday discerning wine lovers, rather insider, industry folks who love chasing down esoteric labels with bigger price tags.
10
Yes, the tone at the top of this article was a total turn-off. It didn't add anything interesting to the story, it wasn't informational or cute. It was snobbery, not snark. And it's a shame, because the article covers a great topic. I guess I'll have to find my own winner for "rose-o'clock." Sincerely, a person who has planted vines with her own hands and appreciates wines both cheap and glitzy.
1
"...wines that have the life span of a tsetse fly before they fade away like the Cheshire Cat..."
Dear Eric,
This sentence makes me think you could have also thrived as a sports writer.
All the best, enjoy your columns, though maybe not that particular metaphor salad.
-C
No mention of the excellent Andrew Murray Vineyards rosé? https://store.andrewmurrayvineyards.com/2017-esprance-ros-estate-grown-p...
Further on Chateau St. Michelle, see on line a price of $10.00 on a site called Ken's Wine Guide and rated 'very good' and also saw a price of $12.99 another place. I'm retired and buy $4.99 wines from Trader Joe's and I'm happy. I like Rose in summer.
1
Eric, thanks for this list. We have found some good domestic roses as well. We have Silverado Napa Valley 2016 that is great on our 1801 Grille menu in Columbia, SC and Sidebar Sonoma 2017 at our Upstream restaurant in Charlotte. We will be trying all of your group's suggestions. I do think the US wines are somewhat overpriced in comparison to many of the great European selections we have found for about 1/2 the retail price.
@ Tom Sasser Charlotte, NC
Good to read your comment, confirming that not all domestic rosés are "mucilage" of the State where the grapes were grown.
Saline is most assuredly not a word (or taste) one would expect to be used in a description of something supposedly tasting good.
3
You reminded me of why wine articles may be fun to read, but do not help in actually getting a bottle.
I also have given up on Wine magazine ratings. They are so inflated as to not be useful.
What is left. I ask the wine merchant or just buy a bottle and taste for myself. Even our Costco has a service person at the wine section to advise and his recommendations have been good.
4
Just returned from the Fine Wine store operated by the commonwealth here in Pittsburgh. There were many rosés, foreign and domestic, to choose from. However, I was informed I would need a liquor license to purchase any of the wines in the article. Oh well. I guess I’ll crack open an Iron City.
1
I was given a 2017 Chateau St. Michelle Rose recently as a birthday gift and liked it and pretty sure it was around the $10-$12 range but not sure. The prices mentioned here are too high for anyone on a budget or on a budget and retired. And I agree, show us the labels as they are easier to remember than names when shopping in grocery store. The above wine is new I believe.
5
1. Were there really no decent roses under $23? $15-20 is my usual spend (and my guess, most others').
2. Why no pictures of the labels with the recommendations? It's the easiest way to remember them.
Thank you,
18
$23 is the line separating the pink-wine chugging masses from ones in-the-know, apparently.
4
Why is energetic used to describe wines, especially still wines?
And why is this cliche used by Americans only to describe American wines?
3
Wine writers use far too many meaningless, inappropriate words to describe wines. My favorite [not] is "sexy." It may have started with Parker, but it's used so often now. How can a wine be sexy? How about a sexy energetic wine?
1
Beware of anything with animals or angels on the label (especially whispering angels in the case of rose - blech). Gold embossed printing is also a bad sign.
4
If I'm not mistaken the only "true" rose is Tavel from the Rhone region in France. Rather than blends Tavel uses the grape skin to add coloration. Tavels are a great summer wine but I like them anytime. They can be difficult to find sometimes but they are out there.
5
Underwood by Union Wine Co. out of Oregon is my go-to at $14. Crisp and refreshing!
Any insight as to what happened to West Coast rosés in 2016? I had several favorites from Northern California and Oregon that were unrecognizable and practically undrinkable.
1
i agree with the comment about the pricing of these wines. this is the stratosphere. of all the ones I've had so far - quite a few - my two favorites are just over $10 - a Vinho Verde and a Bardolino Chiaretto.
6
but this article is about American rosés.
4
Since there is no grape, or set of grapes, that make Rose, finding ones you like is a bit of trial and error. The wine shops in San Francisco like to have Rose tastings because the wine is cheap. It's pretty common to get 12-18 different pours at a single tasting.
If am lucky to find one that I like, typically this is at the price point, hovering around $20-24, that people commenting here are complaining about. You can find lots of pleasant Rose for less. Asimov and Fabricant are just trying to educate readers on what good to great Rose can be.
I buy expensive wines occasionally so I can learn how to spot good cheap ones. Our house chardonnay is $9 a bottle at Costco (available only in N California, unfortunately) and there is a dependable pinot noir or syrah we can find for $14.
1
For my rose splurge, I like Barnard Griffin Sangiovese Rose, Washington State. $12. For the inexpensive, which is what rose should be, La Vieille Ferme Rosé 2017, or "Chicken WIne" is hard to beat. Keep it fresh, and look for the 2017 vintage.
6
My favorite is pinot noir based Meyer-Nakel (German). The 2017 vintage is about $23 and the 2016 is still drinking really well too.
Rosé is a non-aged, non barrelled , low cost to produce wine. These prices are insane. In France a great rosé will go for 12 dollars maximum, and many good rosé wines go for half that, you can even find acceptable ones for 3 to 4 dollars. You drink it chilled on a hot day, maybe faster than you should. Its not a wine to be savoured with a great meal; rather a light summer meal , even BBQ !
Once again your wine expert is going for high priced wines, which as we all know does not mean good wines. And how come he's not looked into Claret wines? NYT sorely needs a 'Frugal Wine Expert',
36
What, no Hampton Water? Oh yeah, right-it is actually French made by a guy from Jersey.
3
Or just go get the best one you'll ever taste. It's French. Les Fleurs du Mal. Your welcome.
1
It's always rose o'clock when a bottle of that Matthiason is around.
3
Where are the $12 pinks?
10
Given the intensity of your opinion about the bad roses it would be helpful in some future column to name some, so we have a point of reference when tasting.
9
It seems these are all more than they are worth for cool summer quaffing.
8
While I have no doubt of the espoused merits of these wines, I can't help but wonder why someone would pay these prices. Just like reds&whites, it's easy to find excellent quality rose for significantly less money from Europe. I refuse to pay a premium for a fancy tasting room I'll never visit.
21
I completely agree with you. I love dry, complex rose, and I've always bemoaned that a lot of domestic rose (from nearby Santa Barbara County no less!) costs as much or more than rose imported from Provence. Why do these bottles have to cost so much for a wine that ideally
should be consumed young in the hotter months? This is actually why I go to my LA K & L and buy French rose.
15
Much like the scorn heaped upon Beaujolais caused by the annual Nouveau spectacle from France, Rose still carries the heavy stigma from the heady days of white zin. As you adeptly point out, the future is now and there are many, many great bottles on shelves and restaurant wine lists now. It's worth taking some chances.
3
I'm surprised Liquid Farm's mourvedre rosé didn't make your top 10. Did you not include it, or did it not make the cut?
2