Your LCBO rosé guide: The Wine Find top picks

While there’s plenty of rosé on the shelves, remember one thing: While they all look pretty, not all of them taste like that. Read on to help you find the best bottles on the shelf.

A fresh take on French rosé

The 2022 Smiley Rosé Vin de France (Vintage $18.95)

What is perhaps the most exciting rosé on the shelf right now is something brand new from France. The French are not known for their ability to make wine seem accessible and fun. But two French families are changing that with Smiley wines. The Icard family, owners of the centuries-old Château de l’Orangerie in Bordeaux, teamed up with the Loufrani family, creators of the Smiley lifestyle brand, to make wine simple, accessible and fun. Wine to complement a simple lifestyle synonymous with happiness and cool. That’s what the world needs. And they did it.

The Smiley Rosé Vin de France 2022 ($18.95 Vintages) is something to buy by the box before it’s gone. It’s sure to appeal to everyone – from those who like the cool restraint of French rosés to those who prefer the sweet-fruity goodness of styles like White Zinfandel and Pink Moscato. Quite an achievement. Do not you believe it? Taste the Smiley Rosé, Vin de France 2022 and judge for yourself. It’s easy to spot – just look for the bottle with nothing but a big pink happy face on the front.

Like most French rosé, this wine shines with a pale coral hue and exudes classically understated aromas that flutter from fruit to floral – barely ripe strawberry, violet, a hint of nectarine. Then the wine slides in, infusing the palate with elegant vinosity and – and this is where it gets interesting – a sweet core. The sweetness – in the amount of 15 g/L – does not taste sweet at all. But rather balances the invigorating acidity and adds a certain shine to every sip. The result is a wine that immediately appeals – to everyone – without losing that infectious French je ne sais quoi. Shocking. And only 11.5 percent alcohol. Rating: 96

A light and refreshing rosé

NV Beringer Main & Vine White Zinfandel, California (LCBO $11.95)

If you’re standing on the dock with your feet in the lake or just wanting to channel that vibe, you might be craving something fruity, lip-smacking and low in alcohol. Something so juicy it reminds you of picking ripe summer berries and popping them in your mouth. The perfect gift for the moment: NV Beringer Main & Vine White Zinfandel from California ($11.95 LCBO).

This wine has been extremely popular for centuries because it is wonderfully fun to drink when the moment calls for it. Each sip of Beringer White Zinfandel teems with the mouth-watering aromas of strawberries and peaches before delivering a gentle jolt of crushed berries and stone fruits. With that perfect balance of sweet and tart, this light and lively thirst quencher clocks in at just 10 percent alcohol. You can even toss a few rocks into the glass before plunging into the wine. There is so much fruit that you don’t have to worry about diluting the drink. Rating: 91

A fresh and dry rosé

2021 Gérard Bertrand Gris Blanc Rosé from the South of France (Vintages Essential $16.95)

For a bone-dry rosé that tastes as crushingly fresh as summer rain, reach for the Gérard Bertrand Gris Blanc Rosé 2021 from the south of France (Vintages Essential $16.95). This bottle expresses that classic and utterly flattering restraint that French rosés are known for. And it is one of the best-selling rosés in France.

From the color, which is almost water white with the palest silvery coral hue, to the barely there scent of fresh apricots and sea spray, wet stones and red berries, this wine is seductive. As you tilt the glass for that first sip, it pours in with a clean, cool vinosity as flavors nod to white stone fruit, orange zest, lemon, cherry and perhaps violet. With optimal delicacy, this dry wine tapers to a long, pure finish of nuts, nougat and salt rock. So unmistakably French and only 12.5 percent alcohol. Rating: 90

A dry but fruity rosé

2022 Underwood Rosé, Oregon ($22.95 Vintage)

If you like dry rosé, but find most French rosés a bit austere, reach for the 2022 Underwood Rosé from Oregon ($22.95 vintages). Each swirl releases the scents of honeysuckle, lemon and strawberry rhubarb before flying in with a zesty, fruity flavour. Expect a light and vibrant finish of luscious citrus and stone fruit flavors flowing in and down. This wine is not long. But it keeps you sipping. It tastes dry – but only 6 g/L of sugar polishes the edges a bit. And it’s low in alcohol at just 12 percent. Rating: 89

A sparkling rosé

NV 13th Street Winery Cuvée Rosé Brut VQA, Niagara Peninsula (Vintages Essential $28.95 through July 16, reg. $31.95)

If you like very dry, pearly, sparkling rosé, the NV 13th Street Winery Cuvée Rosé Brut VQA Niagara Peninsula (Vintages Essential $28.95 through July 16, reg. $31.95) should be on your radar and in your shopping cart. The calmly complex scent is reminiscent of raspberries and lemon zest, custard tarts with caramelized edges and also a certain cool saltiness and grit. The attack is lively, pure, crystalline and effervescent. Tingly sour and invigorating, each sip flows with flavors that mirror the aromas. Stylish and refined sparkling wine with only 12.5 percent alcohol. Rating: 92

Buying your rosé is now even easier. See you at the LCBO.

Carolyn Evans Hammond is a Toronto-based wine writer and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Wineries sponsor segments in her YouTube series, but don’t select the wines she reviews. Her opinion is her own opinion. Prices subject to change. Reach her via email: carolyn@carolynevanshammond.com

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