Rosé has been overlooked for years. Ask a wine snob and they’ll tell you that it’s only suitable for pubs and poolsides. However, while global wine consumption is down, rosé continues to flourish. This light, refreshing wine is the perfect summer drink, and the quality of the wine goes from strength to strength. There are some exceptional rosés out there that can go toe-to-toe with even the most pompous Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
Contrary to popular belief, rosé is a difficult wine to make. It needs both good quality fruit and judicious winemaking skills. It’s made by leaving the juice of crushed red grapes with their skins for anywhere between two and twenty-four hours to extract a little colour and flavour. Different grape varieties impart different colours, so banish the idea that all dark rosés will be sickly-sweet zinfandel blush.
Though French rosés – especially from Provence – continue to dominate the market with reliable quality, a range of different regions are producing excellent wine. From South Africa to Spain, winemakers are producing exceptional takes on the style, and even English winemakers are beginning to make high-quality rosés.
But with so much on the market, it can be hard to work out which rose is worth the money. Marketing campaigns for popular high-street roses mean many of us have been burned by a mediocre, mass-produced wine.
That’s why I put a huge range of roses to the test to find the very best. Whether you want to step up your wine game or just find something new, I’ve discovered high-quality, fairly-priced rosés that prove the style has plenty of substance.
How we tested
I follow a strict testing method for testing wine, and these rosés were no exception. I judged balance, flavour and, of course, pleasure. All the wines were chilled to 14C, which ensured none of the flavours or aromas were dampened. I always taste wines blind, with re-tastings on days two and three to see how the wines last over time.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Rosamund Hall is a writer, presenter and columnist specialising in wine and spirits. She has regularly shared her recommendations and tips for The Independent’s voices section, covering topics such as how to enjoy fine wine for less and the wines to buy for seasonal occasions. Rosamond will only recommend a wine she has tested and considers worthy of a space on the wine rack.
The best rosé wines for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Studio by Miraval rosé, 2024: £12.75, Waitrose.com
- Best budget option – The Pebble rose de loire, Patient Cottat, 2023: £11, Tesco.com
- Best for rosé sceptics – La Calcinara mun rosato, 2023: £18, The Wine Society
- Best English rosé – Simpsons Railway Hill rosé, 2023: £22, Simpsonswine.com
17 best wine aerators to unlock your vino’s full potential
Best online wine shops that deliver bottles right to your door
13 best recipe boxes and meal delivery kits 2025, tried and tested
10 best wines under £20 that taste divine, from red to rosé
12 best tequilas that are perfect for cocktails and sipping neat
Studio by Miraval rosé, 2024
I tasted this blind alongside a number of Provençal rosés and was impressed by the quality-to-price ratio. Château Miraval is owned by Brad Pitt, and though I was originally suspicious of a celebrity wine, this wine is exceptional. The vineyard is run by Famille Perrin, one of the most respected winemaking families in the Rhône valley.
This beautiful blend of cinsault, grenache, rolle and tibouren displays subtle apricot and nectarine aromas alongside soft raspberries and delicate floral notes. All of this, coupled with the great acidity, makes for a well-made and perfectly balanced and appealing dry wine. Pound for pour, it over-delivers compared to other wines sold at more than double its price.
Buy now £12.75, Waitrose.com
The Pebble rose de loire, Patient Cottat, 2023
The perfect picnic rosé is a fresh, crowd-pleasing wine that will pair with a multitude of picnic items laid out in the shade. This uplifting wine from The Loire Valley is an ideal choice.
It’s a pinot noir-dominant rosé, made in part using the ‘saignee’ method, which translates as ‘bleeding’, a process by which a portion of red wine juice is removed from a tank containing crushed pinot noir grapes. This juice gives a more concentrated, fruit-driven element to the final blend. It’s brimming with fresh squishy raspberries, redcurrants and a twist of fresh citrus.
Buy now £11.00, Tesco.com
Taittinger brut prestige rosé, NV
The steadfast dedication of the family-run house of Taittinger makes it a reliable choice for guaranteeing both quality and value. This is a joyous pink champagne for the summer months.
Its gorgeous, deep hue comes from the decadent pinot noir-heavy blend that packs it full of ripe strawberries, hedgerow fruit, zippy redcurrants and cream-topped baked brioche, all wrapped up in pillowy-soft bubbles. A versatile and revitalising wine that works beautifully with a multitude of foods, it can also be enjoyed on its own as a luxurious aperitif. However, as a champagne rosé, this is pretty expensive.
Buy now £49.00, Waitrose.com
La Calcinara mun rosato, 2023
If you have a rosé sceptic in your life, this is the wine to convert them. A world away from the forgettable pub plonk ruining rosé, this is a wine of real depth, great texture and weight from the underappreciated region of Le Marche in Italy.
Made from one hundred per cent montepulciano, its restrained nose belies a wave of fresh ripe cherries, orange blossom, and an English rose garden in bloom. The acidity in the fruit supports the weight and richness immaculately. Tasted blind, I almost thought this was a light red. I think this would be best paired with a steaming bowl of prawn linguine with lashings of fresh tomato, olive oil, garlic and zests of Amalfi lemon.
Buy now £18.00, Thewinesociety.com
Graham Beck brut rosé, NV
Bad pink prosecco is a scourge on supermarket shelves. If you want to try something that’s less saccharine with a touch more class, look no further than this sparkling from South Africa. Made in exactly the same method as champagne, and aged for eighteen months on its lees in the bottle, this wine delivers for the price.
A perfect blend of pinot noir and chardonnay, it exudes crunchy ripe red apples, swirls of fresh strawberry-cream and freshly baked shortbread. This fun and uplifting wine will elevate the everyday into a special occasion.
Buy now £17.00, Majestic.co.uk
Simpsons Railway Hill rosé, 2023
English sparkling wine is going from strength to strength, but English winemakers are also making some outstanding still rosé. Simpsons, nestled in the charming Elham Valley in Kent, has consistently made one of the best English rosés.
This is a gloriously pretty pink rosé made from one hundred per cent estate-grown pinot noir. In your glass, you’ll find vibrant redcurrants, freshly picked strawberries, and a squeeze of pink grapefruit, all supported by poised, thirst-quenching acidity. It’s like bottling a perfect English summer’s day.
Buy now £22.00, Simpsonswine.com
Clos Cibonne tradition rosé ‘cru classé’, 2022
Provençal rosé isn’t all flashy bells and whistles. This is a benchmark example of a rosé with great finesse, ageing potential, and one that’s entirely comfortable in its own excellence. Clos Cibonne is the proudest and finest custodian of the rare grape tibouren, an ancient varietal which dates back millennia.
Recognised as one of eighteen ‘cru classé’ producers in Provence, it produces wines of note and quality. This is a richer style of wine packed full of dried rose petals, blood oranges, apricots, and a salty lick of the Mediterranean sea. The complicated layers of this generous and textural wine will age for years to come. This stunning choice proves that rosé isn’t just a sip-and-forget wine.
Buy now £38.00, Highburyvintners.co.uk
Love by Leoube, 2023
Made by a family-run estate growing all organic grapes within sight of the Mediterranean, this is the wine of Provençal dreams – a half-and-half blend of grenache and cinsault. Leoube is a family-run estate overseen by Romain Ott. This fascinating wine certainly gives popular rosé like Whispering Angel (£22.25, Sainsburys.com) a run for its money.
The nose is delicate, with aromas of soft white peaches, alpine strawberries and a hint of wild oregano. My tip would be not to overchill this wine, as it’ll stay a little closed; instead, let the flavours open. This isn’t a big, brash wine. It’s poised with hints of fresh redcurrants alongside the strawberry and supple peach creamy notes. I’d recommend enjoying this wine alongside a simple grilled rotisserie chicken and a generous serving of feta-laced fresh green salad.
Buy now £17.25, Ocado.com
Judith Beck pink, 2024
Judith Beck is one of Austria’s best wine producers and has been championing sustainable viticulture long before it was a buzzword. This biodynamic, wild fermented wine, which uses only a touch of sulphur and is unfined and unfiltered, is a charming blend of two Austrian indigenous grapes: zweigelt and blaufränkisch.
It delivers glassfuls of crushed cranberries, soft raspberries, squeezes of lemon and a hint of ripe nectarine. It’s utterly moreish and would appeal to every wine lover, whatever their stylistic preference.
Buy now £16.35, Lescaves.co.uk
Gastronomic rosé
Rosé is possibly one of the most food-friendly styles of wine available. If in doubt, pair it with a rosé, especially one with the kind of complexity and pleasure on show in this Sancerre.
Made entirely from pinot noir from the region around Sancerre in the Loire Valley, it is full of fresh cherries, blackcurrants, early strawberries and a lovely citrus lick. It’s vibrant and elegant, and the racy acidity leaves your mouth watering for more.
Buy now £19.90, Vinvm.co.uk
The verdict: Rosé wine
Pour me any one of these wines and I’d be happy; I’m impressed by the versatility of all of these rosés. For sheer quality, Studio by Miravel hit a high note, showing the importance of tasting blind. For a great budget option, The Pebble rose de loire is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Mun, by La Calcinara, is full of Italian wonder and character from a lesser-known and underappreciated region. Finally, Simpsons’ Railway Hill shows how much English wine has improved. There has never been a better time to discover and revel in the joy of a glass of rosé.
Want more wine recommendations? Read our review of the best vegan wines
