Rosé has become the drink of summer (although there’s nothing to stop you enjoying it all year round) – fresh, stylish and effortlessly drinkable. The palest pink bottles from Provence have led the trend, with their delicate colour and light, crisp character setting the benchmark for modern rosé.
That pale Provençal look is now copied around the world, and while the colour may be similar, the flavours can vary depending on where the wine is made. Expect anything from subtle red berries and citrus to softer peachy notes – all designed to be refreshing and easy to enjoy. But rosé isn’t only about whisper-pale pink. Some regions produce deeper-coloured styles with more fruit and body, offering a richer alternative for those who prefer a bit more weight in their glass.
Whether you’re after something feather-light for a hot afternoon or a fuller style to pair with food, the best rosés share one thing in common: they’re dangerously easy to sip and even easier to love. Our wine experts Henry Jeffreys and Jonathan Hatchman have tried and tested a selection of rosés – here are 5 of the best bottles to buy in 2026, all under £20.
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Best rosé at a glance
- Best Bordeaux rosé: Le Rosé de La Clarière 2024, £14.99
- Best everyday Provence rosé: Domaine du Mas Ensoleillé Provence Rosé 2024, £10.99
- Best rosé for seafood: Domaine de Paris Côtes de Provence Rosé 2024, £15.99
- Best Italian rosé: Tormaresca Calafuria, £15
- Best English rosé: Simpsons Railway Pinot Noir Rosé 2022, £19.50
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Best rosé to buy in 2026
Le Rosé de La Clarière 2024
Available from Laithwaites (£14.99)
Best Bordeaux rosé
Star rating: 4/5
This Bordeaux estate produces just a small amount of rosé each year, with most of the grapes being reserved for Claret. The 2024 vintage is a blend of cabernet franc and merlot, slowly fermented in stainless tanks which captures the delicate summer berry notes and a zippy citrus freshness.
Prominent strawberry and cherry aromas dominate on the nose, giving way to raspberry and lemon notes alongside wild strawberry, more cherry and some very faint pomegranate. It’s a fresh, dry light-bodied rosé with good minerality, complete with a long, persistent summer berry finish. Best enjoyed well-chilled. Jonathan Hatchman
Available from:
Domaine du Mas Ensoleillé Provence Rosé 2024
Best everyday Provence rosé
Star rating: 4/5
The Domaine du Mas Ensoleillé 2024 vintage is a quintessential Provence rosé, from a small cellar in Aix-en-Provence. Grenache and syrah are night-harvested and hand-picked from Jean-Didier’s vineyard, in the shadow of Mediterranean olive trees, with the sun and breeze encouraging the elegant fruit flavours synonymous with the style.
Floral aromas are joined by strawberry, tangerine and slight melon, while the palate is particularly fruit-forward with a medley of strawberry, blackberry, cranberry, orange zest, grapefruit, passionfruit, white peach and apple flavours joining elegant minerality and some vanilla creaminess which lingers on the medium finish. Jonathan Hatchman
Available from:
Domaine de Paris Côtes de Provence Rosé 2024
Available from Laithwaites (£15.99)
Best rosé for seafood
Star rating: 3.5/5
Renowned for their elegant Provence rosés, Domaine de Paris comes from the Brun family estate, which has been owned by three generations of the family since 1900 and prides itself on its old vines, including 50-year-old syrah and grenache vines, plus classic cinsault and carignan.
The Côtes de Provence Rosé 2024 has a flinty backbone alongside wild strawberry, raspberry and peach notes alongside a touch of cream and medium acidity. Fresh, sophisticated and slightly tart on the finish, this one is great for pairing with foods such as seafood, white meat and light salads. Jonathan Hatchman
Available from
Tormaresca Calafuria
Available from Sviando (£15), Twelve Green Bottles (£21.95), Amazon (£24.95)
Best Italian rosé
Star rating: 5/5
We love the colour of this rosato, much redder than a Provence-style wine and that’s reflected in how it tastes. There’s bright red juicy strawberries, a refreshing tang here with notes of orange peel and even a whisper of tannin. Absolutely delicious and the bottle looks superb too. Henry Jeffreys
Available from:
Simpsons Railway Pinot Noir Rosé 2022
Available from Corkk (£19.50)
Best English rosé
Star rating: 4/5
English rosé has come on in leaps and bounds in the past years so this was a hard one to narrow down. We went for the Simpsons one because there’s real pinot noir character and body here despite the fashionably pale colour. The price is also very reasonable for an English wine of this quality. Henry Jeffreys
Available from:
Rosé: what is it and why is it so popular?
How old should rosé be?
Rosé should be enjoyed relatively young, although the best pinks actually taste better with a little time in the bottle. But largely these are not wines for keeping, and you should be aware that their clear glass bottles can leave their delicate contents susceptible to damage from sunlight – which is why you should never buy rosé that has been kept in a shop window.
How pink should rosé be?
The Provençal style of rosé wine is now used all over the world. You get that beautiful colour from very gently pressing red grapes – usually grenache, cinsault and other Mediterranean varieties – so that only a tiny bit of colour (and indeed flavour) from the skins gets into the wine, resulting in that classic blush shade.
However, this is not the only way to make rosé. Just a little north of Provence, in the villages of Tavel and Lirac at the southern foothills of the Rhône valley, you’ll find rosé that is very nearly red because they make pinks with tannin and lots of fruit. Darker styles of rosé are made all over the world, particularly in Spain and Italy. In Australia and other New World countries, rosé wine can be made simply by mixing red and white wine together.
How we tested
Our expert sampled some of the famous rosé names versus the best from the supermarkets and the high street, all ranging in price between £7 and £17. The wines were tested both in a formal tasting – one by one – and then again informally, served with food. Often, ones that didn’t impress on first tasting became the favourites after paired with foods.
Rosé recipes
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Strawberries in rosé wine
Mulled rosé wine
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