Rosé Revolution: Light Red is the New Pink

BY BILLY NORRIS | MAY 27, 2025

For many, Rosé is like an old friend you see every summer. Maybe you send a few texts throughout the year, a quick call to check in, a shared Instagram reel here and there, but you really only spend time together when the weather turns hot and the days grow long.

The archetypal Provençal Rosé—light pink, fresh, peachy, gently floral, steely and salty like a sea breeze—is undeniably consistent year in, year out. Grab one off the shelf at random and chances are it’s going to be drinkable. Be that as it may, consistency doesn’t necessarily move the needle, especially for the emerging sector of younger drinkers chasing the next trendy beverage. So, what’s next for Rosé?

Beyond Provence, it’s impossible not to notice that Rosés are getting redder the world over. Wines with more concentration, structure and terroir imprint are proliferating, still managing to maintain the freshness and litheness that make traditional Rosé appealing while also offering a bit more stuffing. Perhaps the market’s warm reception to Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo was the impetus for winemakers to feel more comfortable stepping into this realm. More and more “Rosés” from around the world are mimicking, or at least paying tribute to, the Cerasuolo style, obscuring the dividing line between Rosé and red wine.

These are wines that can age, wines that can pair well with food of all stripes, and wines that are compellingly characterful on their own. This emerging style may be the natural sequel to the orange wine movement, as these redder Rosés are less frequently plagued by some of the technical flaws that can make orange wines a little too challenging for some palates.

Most of the wines in this report are from the 2024 vintage, which was a proper mixed bag across most of Europe. Many regions in France were battered by torrential rains and fought the same downy mildew outbreaks and uneven ripening that befell Italy in 2023, though Provence was spared the worst. Italy was generally warm and extremely dry in 2024. Spain got a bit of both worlds. After a welcome reprieve in 2023, California saw a return to the heat that has become commonplace. What does that mean for the wines? Case by case. Some overperform. Some underperform. To that end, below is a list of 10 wines worth seeking out from the 150+ tasted for this report—some old guard, some new wave, all worth your time.

1.       The showstopper – 2024 Sandlands Lodi Rosé Kirschenbloom: Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo meets California sunshine, case in point. A wine of utter class and complexity, and a new paradigm for domestic Rosé.

2.       The new kid on the block – Apollo’s Praise 2024 Rosé of Cabernet Franc Nutt Road Vineyard: Tons of character and a clear terroir imprint from an emerging star in the Finger Lakes.

3.       The luxury treatment – 2024 Domaines Ott Château Romassan: Bandol at its rich, muscular, textural finest. Traditional, expensive, worth every penny.

4.       The belle of the ball – 2024 Château Minuty Rosé Minuty 281: A masterclass in elegance and balance. The ballet dancer of Provençal Rosé, and a testament to why these wines will never go out of style.

5.       The one to age – 2024 Marqués de Riscal Rosado: Full-bodied and oozing with complexity. Brawny, oxidative Riojan charm in spades, this is a wine that begs for the cellar.

6.       The perfect pizza pairing – 2024 San Donatino Rosato Toscana Barbagianni: A case study in the blurred lines between red and Rosé, the Barbagianni is a “natty” wine with all the charm and none of the flaws. Juicy and dangerously delicious.

7.       The ridiculous value play – 2024 Quinta da Lixa Vinho Verde Rosé Escudo Real: At $11 a bottle, you’d be hard pressed to find a wine that packs more character. Spritzy, energetic and fun, but also deeply mineral and complex. I need more Vinho Verde Rosé in my life.

8.       The doppelganger – 2024 Finca Torremilanos Rosado Montecastrillo: Another dead-ringer for Cerasuolo, this time 100% Tempranillo with a spicy flair.

9.       The Piemontese perspective – Proprietà Sperino 2024 Rosa del Rosa: A reminder of Nebbiolo’s greatness and self-assuredness in a wide variety of styles. Clearly and unashamedly itself.

10.    The one you could drink with breakfast – 2024 Pinuaga Rosé La Tierra de Castilla:  Goes down like a blood orange mimosa with a salted rim. Garnacha brings the party while Tempranillo brings the structure.

Rosé’s future looks redder, more serious and more satisfying than ever. While Provence still sets the gold standard for easy sipping, the growing movement of bolder, ageworthy wines from far-flung locales is making it clear that Rosé isn’t just a season, it’s a category with staying power.

As per usual, readers should note that many of the top Rosés are released later in the year, and some were delayed in shipping. We will update this report as we receive and taste these wines. We tasted the wines for this report in our New York City offices in May 2025.

© 2025, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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