50 Shades of Rosé – from the sublime to the ridiculous!

Last week I was lucky enough to help host a Rosé wine tasting where guests sampled 18 different Rosés on a spectacular rooftop, complete with a seafood market and our very own Frosé station. The aim was to challenge the idea that Rosé is a simple style and show just how diverse it can be. From delicate pale pinks to deep Campari-coloured wines from around the world, the tasting highlighted how grape variety, winemaking and provenance all shape what ends up in the glass. Rosé really can offer the freshness of a white with the structure of a red, making it one of the most versatile and food friendly wine styles. Below are a few of my standout wines from the tasting. See my wine recommendations below.

Pure Provence:
Valérie Courrèges, L’Ecorce Buissonnière, Provence, 2024 from £30 Neals Yard
Grenache Noir 80%, Vermentino 15%, Syrah 5%

Instant teleportation to Provence! Valérie is all about keeping the purity of flavour and aroma in this concrete tank aged Rosé. This old vine Provence rosé exudes pure peach fruit, a silky texture, lavender lift and mineral precision.

The Rebel Cult Wine Option:
Clos Cibonne, Cuvée Prestige Caroline 2023 from £33 Vinatis UK
Grapes: 90& Tibouren, 10% Garnacha Tinta

This copper pink Rosé just got a mega rave review in Decanter but it has been a favourite among sommeliers and wine lovers for a while. It is produced by the rare Tibouren grape and matured under flor like yeast in large oak barrels. Although any oxidative flor character is barely noticeable. What you do get is plenty of honeyed apricot fruit, slight toastiness, fantastic citrus acidity and super long length. One to drink now or in 20 years and can be paired with anything from salmon, Mediterranean mezzes or lamb curry!

Going Greek:
Troupis Winery Hoof & Lur Moschofilero, Peloponnese, Greece 2023 usually available for around £22. Whisky Exchange will be getting some in soon!
Grape: 100% Moschofilero

Is it a Rosé or an Orange wine? This natural Greek wine, made from a few days skin contact, really makes one question if it is possible to categorise wine by colour. The Moschofilero grape is extremely versatile, allowing winemakers to experiment and make all kinds of wine. It is always aromatic, but the 15 days skin contact means this Rosé brims with rosehip, rose petals, peach fruit and a delightful spritzy acidity. Yum! 

Drink Local:
Wiston Brut Rosé, West Sussex, UK, NV from £38.00 Wiston Website
Grapes: Chardonnay 30%, Pinot Meunier 30%, Pinot Noir 40%

This is mine and my family’s favourite English sparkling Rosé. I love how Wiston does long lees ageing ( resting the wine on the dead yeast cells), as it gives fuller texture, toasty aromatics and rounds out the acidity. They also use reserve wines back to 2009 for added complexity and the wine is topped up with still pinot noir to create a richer colour and fruit core. This was selected by Sommeliers as the Best Sparkling Wine of 2025 and I can see why. I adore its rhubarb, raspberry, sour cherry fruit combined with lemony zest and slight brioche undertone. 

New York’s Finest:
Channing Daughters, Rosato di Cabernet Franc, Long Island, USA, 2025 from £19.00
Grapes: 100% Cabernet Franc. This grape is known for its vibrant red fruit ( think pomegranate and strawberry), crisp acidity and savoury peppery spice.
I love this super dynamic and delicious Rosé. It is made in stainless steel to keep the purity of its raspberry and watermelon fruit and has a satisfying saline finish thanks to the Atlantic breezes. It may be pale but it has plenty of personality!