Spring flowers, pollen, warm weather, rain showers, cool breezes– all of these elements signal the start of Spring!  One other element that tips off Spring’s impending approach?   Why the enormous displays of beautiful Rosé bottles filling the aisles of Wegman’s of course!  That’s right; it’s Rosé season!  In honor of the occasion and it’s impact on our seasonal palate we have compiled a list of our favorite Virginia Rosés for your reading (and hopefully tasting) pleasure!  Enjoy!

The Virginia Winos’ Picks for Rosé

• Crosé, King Family Vineyards
  • We kicked off Rosé season with a visit to one of our favorite Virginia wineries, King Family Vineyards, in Crozet, VA.  King Family is located just outside of Charlottesville and is home to some amazing wines and gorgeous central Virginia views.  The Crosé (what an inspired name!) is a merlot-based rosé and in our opinion, the perfect Spring sipper.  We prefer our rosés to be dry, yet still fresh and crisp, and this one certainly delivers.  Enjoy the beautiful notes of grapefruit with a nice acidity and a hint of rose petals on the nose.  Looking for the perfect Sunday afternoon?  Pair this wine with friends and a Polo match at the vineyard.

• Nana’s Rosé, Paradise Springs Winery 
  • The first time we sampled Nana’s Rosé we imagined it would be reminiscent of a White Zinfandel. Don’t let the name fool you though, this Rosé is young, fresh and flirty.  We love the light salmon color of this French-style wine, and enjoy the refreshing notes of strawberry and citrus.  Previous versions of this rosé have accompanied many wine and cheese evenings on our patio.  Can’t wait to taste this year’s vintage.

• Wild Boar Rosé Cuvee, Stone Tower Winery
  • Sparkling + Rosé =  an elegant and sensual, but not too serious, delight.  Do yourself a favor and follow this advice:  grab yourself some brie, your bestie, a few slices of melon and some beautiful champagne flutes and spend an afternoon lingering in the vineyard sipping on this bubbly treat.  The Rosé Cuvee is a traditional Champagne-style blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay with notes of strawberry and pomegranate.

• Rosé, Stinson Vineyards
  • Rounding out the list is a unique approach from Stinson Vineyards in Crozet, VA.  In a departure from the more classic Pinor Noir and Merlot-based rosés, winemaker Rachel Stinson uses 100% Mourvédre to craft her wine.  This southern French-style rosé is crisp and refreshing, with notes of strawberry and watermelon.  Conveniently located down the road from King Family, we recommend stopping by both locations this Spring for the ultimate rosé showdown (JK, they both win in our book)!

Cheers to Rosé season!