Thankfully, winter’s icy grip is nothing but a fading nightmare now. Warm weather means different things to everyone. For some, it’s the beach, outdoor grilling and sports, and for others, it represents the time to get their yards or vegetable gardens growing. Each of those things is certainly worthy, but none as fun to me as always having at least one bottle of delicious, dry rosé in my refrigerator ready to go. I’ll drink them all year round, but when the thermostat starts going up, my consumption of them does too. Here are three I just tasted that are delicious, fairly priced and very different from one another.

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Michael Torino 2014 Malbec Rosé

All of the fruit for this wine was sourced in the Cafayete region of Argentina. It’s composed entirely of Malbec and all of the grapes are from estate vineyards. After pressing, the juice had minimal contact with skins to achieve its color. After that, fermentation and vinification follows the same protocol used for white wines. Suggested retail price is $12. The first thing that stands out about this rosé is the color, which is deeper and darker than average. Wild ripe strawberry and red cherry aromas leap from the nose here along with a touch of vanilla bean. The palate is loaded with a bevy of sumptuous fruit flavors such as cherry, raspberry and bits of red plum. Sour cherry and a hint of white pepper are each substantial parts of the finish, which has good length. This rosé has a bit more weight than usual and will stand up to more substantial foods.

Hecht & Bannier 2014 Cotes de Provence Rosé

This offering is a classic blend of Cinsault (45%), Grenache (30%) and Syrah (25%). All of the fruit came from the limestone laden foothills of Montagne Sainte Victoire. The Grenache and Syrah are macerated together for maximum integration. Suggested retail price is $18. The pale pink hue of this offering from Provence is precisely the color in my mind’s eye when rosé comes to mind. Light red fruit aromas fill the nose along with subtle bits of tropical fruit. The palate is gently layered with oodles of continued fruit and accompanying spices. The finish is long and persistent with crisp acid. The lingering impression is of being refreshed. This wine pairs well with light food and is also just fabulous all by itself.

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Pascal Jolivet 2014 Sancerre Rosé

The fruit for this wine comes from France’s Loire Valley. It’s composed entirely of Pinot Noir. It was produced using two methodologies: saignée and direct press. It was fermented exclusively in stainless steel utilizing only native yeasts. Suggested retail price is $23. Strawberry aromas are underscored by a hint of pink grapefruit and crème fraiche on the nose. Wisps of bay leaf and thyme show up on the palate alongside tons more red fruit flavors, mainly in the form of strawberry. The finish shows off, firm crisp acidy and plenty of spice. This is a beautiful expression of rosé that will pair well with a wide array of foods.

If you don’t think you like rosé, I’d venture to guess you’re drinking the wrong ones. Each of the three above could easily be the right one. It all depends on what flavors you enjoy and what sort of food you’ll be eating. So figure out which one sounds most appealing and grab a bottle. If you do, I’m willing to bet you’ll be drinking rosé all summer long too. Cheers!

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