The Best Rosé Wines Under $25

It’s the quintessential drink of the summer  - so much so that there’s even a festival dedicated to all its pink glory, and we see why. Rosé, made from wine that touches the skin of dark grapes anywhere from 2-20 hours, offers something for every wine drinker. From dry and lean to fruity and bold, it’s one of the best wines to please the pickiest drinker you know. Even Ricky Rozay knows what’s good.

How we feel after drinking a good glass of rosé.

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So step away from that Yellowtail and Sutter Home y’all, and let’s check out some great rosé wines that will make you and your bank account happy, as all of the wines we picked are under $25. We purchased these wines from Simply Wine and Quality House Wines & Spirits in NYC, but they are all readily available online and at good quality wine shops.

The Classic Man - Xavier Flouret Côtes du Provence Nationale 7 Rosé

Price: $22.99 at Quality House Wines & Spirits, $16.99 - $19.99 online

This is a classic rosé from the Provence region of France, and is made from a blend of six grapes. This wine smelled vibrant and acidic, with sharp raspberry and red currant flavors (translation: it smells like a bunch of berries, and is super acidic). This dry wine is definitely something that you savor; one of our team members described it as a “sipping wine” and we agree (it has an alcohol content of 13%, so you DEFINITELY want to sip on this one unless you plan on getting lit early on). So, if you like your wine dry, acidic - this made our mouth pucker, which wasn’t a bad thing - and super refreshing, you'll like this.

Eat: Foods that balance the acidity of this rosé. We loved this with double-creme Brie cheese drizzled with honey, multigrain crackers and watermelon. Try this with a great fried chicken sandwich to balance out the fattiness. Any soft, mild cheese/cracker combination will do, along with nuts, a good quality dark chocolate, and raspberries.

The Crowd Favorite - Apatsagi Pannonhalmi Pincezset Rosé 2015

Price: $15 at Simply Wine, $8.79 online

Most rosés come from France, but we were looking to try something different - and we’re glad we did. This Hungarian rosé was our favorite (who knew they even made wine in Hungary?).  We LOVED the color and smell - it smelled super juicy, like eating freshly picked strawberries or biting into a Georgia peach at its peak. This was a little tart, a little sweet, a little effervescent and really refreshing - our whole team really liked this one, as it was a different style and flavor than the typical French rosés you see in stores. If you’re looking to stunt on folks with your wine selection, try this one. It’s definitely a wine that we’ll drink again.

Eat: We couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t go with this. The balance of sweet, tart and light made this a really versatile wine. We especially liked this with spicy foods, like our homemade Jerk Chicken Wings and Oven-Roasted Potatoes. Try this with any spicy foods, roasted meats and veggies, seafood and charcuterie. This will also pair really well with desserts.

The Underdog - Laurent Miquel Cinsault Syrah Pere et Fils 2015
Price: $11 at Simply Wine, $6.99 online 

This French rosé caught us by surprise. It’s full of body, rich, bright and zesty, all at once. On the nose, it had great floral, black currant, nectarine and lime notes. This rosé is probably the “meatiest” out of all the ones we drank - so if you like your red wines with substance, this rosé is excellent. We loved the touch of sweetness and the way it went down smoothly. Plus, we found that this wine developed more complex flavors as time went on, making for a great glass.

Eat: We loved this wine with a simple salad, dressed with balsamic vinaigrette. Think coastal cuisine with this wine, like grilled shrimp with a mango salsa and summer veggies. Don't feel like cooking? We’d also pair this with some takeout pizza as well.

Tips:

• Rosé wines are best served chilled

• All that swirling you see people do with their wine glasses? It actually aerates the wine and releases the aromas, which is super useful because we taste with our nose first. So swirl on ya rosé, and raise those pinky fingers high!

Happy Sipping!

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Vonnie Williams is the co-founder of The Black Forks, dedicated to exploring food and culture through the Black lens. She loves her jollof rice as much as a great bowl of cacio e pepe, and has an (almost) unhealthy obsession with ice cream.  You can find The Black Forks on www.theblackforks.com, and on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook!