Though rosé wines are closer in flavor to white wines, they’re actually made from black-skinned grapes. While red wines are allowed to ferment with the skins for weeks or months, rosé wines sit with their skins for just a few hours. This gives them that gorgeous hue, and imparts some complex flavor compounds you won’t find in white wines.
The best rosé wines come from France – specifically Côtes de Provence and the surrounding regions – although New Zealand makes for a close second. There are plenty of American rosés to choose from, but nearly all of them are quite sweet, so we tend to avoid them when making cocktails.
