Rose wines from France are some of the best bottles of wine you’ll ever enjoy. To help you navigate the French rosé wine world, use this guide to France’s leading wine regions to find entry-level and top-tier rose wines.
Provence Rose Wines
Provençal rosé is the king of French rosé category. With its Mediterranean climate, this type of French wine has an excellent reputation in wine enthusiast circles. You will be in for a treat when you see Cotes De Provence and similar areas listed on the wine label.
Provençal Rosé wines are known for their fruit flavors and using a variety of grapes like Cinsault, Grenache, and Petit Brun. Wine experts and American consumers agree that the vins de Provence is the best starting point to find a beautiful bottle. As a wine writer, I recommend looking for the following affordable provençal wines to explore the region’s famous rosé production
Chateau Sainte Marguerite Cotes de Provence La Londe Symphonie Cru Classe Rose
This organic wine has earned an average score of 94 from wine experts. Available for $55 per bottle, the bottle of wine has 12.5% alcohol by volume. The wine offers stone fruit flavors (i.e., white peaches) along with vanilla and aniseed. The acidity levels in this bottle of rosé are subtle.
Domaine Hauvette Les Baux de Provence Petra Rose
Are you looking for dry rosé wines? If so, this Provençal rosé is a good bet. With an average price of $51, this wine comes from the Les Baux de Provence in the Provence region. This crisp rosé is made from Syrah, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a 12% alcohol volume. The organic grapes in this 750ml wine offer citrus notes.
Miraval Côtes de Provence
Unlike other wines profiled here, this wine is well known due to the winery’s owners, including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Miraval is best known for its rose wines but it also offers two white wines (AOC Côtes de Provence and AOC Côteaux Varois en Provence).
Miraval Provence‘s wine production of rose wines is distinctive. Since the 2014 vintage, the winery has engraved its bottles to discourage counterfeits. In terms of fruity aroma, expect strawberry aromas and citrus flavors.
Maison Saint Aix
Produced in the Coteaux D’Aix area, this rose wine has a 13% alcohol level. The wine is made from a blend of grape varieties: Syrah, Cinsault, and Grenache. In your glass, expect strawberry, apple, peach, and lemon flavors. The wine has earned high ratings from the wine enthusiast community.
Rhone Valley Rose Wine
While the minds of consumers tend to associate the Rhone Valley with some of the best red wine for non wine drinkers, this French region also makes excellent pink wine. More than a dozen grape varieties are planted in the area, including Syrah, Viognier, and Roussanne in the Northern Rhone and many more varieties in the Southern Rhone.
Ogier Cotes Du Ventoux Rose AOC
This rose wine has a 13% alcohol level and a medium body (make sure you also know how many calories in a glass of rose). The wine has floral notes. Instead of citrus aromas, the wine offers watermelon and plum notes. This type of wine is also affordably priced, so it is an excellent way to explore the rose category of wine.
Château Virgile
Produced in the Southern Rhone, this Costières de Nîmes rose wine has a 13.5% alcohol content. The wine is a blend of two grapes: Syrah and Grenache. The fruit notes of this wine combine exotic fruit like papaya and more common fruit notes like strawberry and peach. The 2018 vintage earned recognition in the 2020 Vivino wine style awards for southern Rhone Rose.
Château Pesquie Ventoux Terrasses Rosé
This Rhone Valley rose offers notes of strawberry, citrus notes, and tree fruits like apple and peach. This dry wine has mild rather than vivid acidity. Pour some of this salmon pink wine beverage when looking for a refreshing wine on a hot day. The 2021 vintage of this wine has earned high ratings from wine enthusiasts.
Languedoc Rose Wine
The Languedoc wine region is best known for its organic wines, especially red blends. The region also makes sparkling wine in the traditional method. In addition, the region also produces white wine grapes like Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Grenache Blanc. Now let’s take a look at t Languedoc’s rose wines. Comparing Languedoc rose to provençal wines is an excellent idea for a summer wine tasting at home.
Gérard Bertrand Clos du Temple
Priced at more than $200 per bottle, this rose wine is the highest-priced wine in this guide. The wine’s high price is justified because it has won high praise, including high scores from critics and wine awards. Four grapes – Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault, Viognier, and Mourvedre – go into each bottle.
Château La Sauvageonne La Villa Rosé
Priced at just $100 per bottle, this Languedoc wine has earned good reviews from many reviewers. The pale pink wine has aromas of oak and cream. Also, the wine offers grapefruit, raspberry, and strawberry.
Food Wine Pairings For Rose
A few popular food wine pairings always work with rose wines. Salmon and seafood dishes are popular choices. In addition, vegetarian dishes like vegetarian pizza, hummus, and pesto work with this wine. Also, grilled fish and goat cheese pair well with this type of wine.
The refreshing acidity in most rose wines makes these wines highly enjoyable in hot weather. Enjoying a glass of rose wine on a hot day is one of the most incredible ways to relax on a hot or humid day (but you might still want to know how many calories in a glass of rose wine). On the other hand, rose wine doesn’t pair well with heavier dishes like steak and red meat. Check out this guide to discover the best wine with steak.
Rose Wines From France In Summary
Finding the best rose wines from France takes time and exploration (especially if you are considering questions like when to visit wine county). Starting with Provence, the Rhone and Languedoc are the best starting points. As the rose style of wines continues to grow in popularity, you can find it in even more areas like the Loire Valley. Most rose wines from France are made from a blend of several grapes and have a medium alcohol level.
