The rosé craze of the mid-2000s finally brought rosé into the mainstream, which was cause for celebration for wine nerds like me. After getting shot down for years by customers who assumed anything pink would be sweet, rosé was finally cool. Formidable! But unfortunately, this trend spawned a pink ocean’s worth of gimmicky labels, some of which are better left on the shelf.
I’ve tried a lot of wine from Aldi and, when it comes to rosé, the grocer’s strength seems to be bottles from classic regions like Provence. (The California rosés tend to be in a darker, slightly fruitier style than what most of my friends and customers gravitate towards.) Of all the bottles I sampled, this Côtes de Provence Rosé from the grocer’s Exquisite line is the one I’d buy again and again.
Exquisite Collection Côtes de Provence Rosé, $9.99 for 750 ml
Packaged in a cute, curvy bottle reminiscent of iconic rosé brands like Domaine Ott, the Côtes de Provence Rosé, this is exactly the “summer water” style that people think of when they think of rosé. It’s crisp and refreshing, dry but not too light in body, with a pretty pale salmon color. It’s a blend of grenache, cinsault and syrah, with some nice mouth-watering acidity and tart strawberry and pickled watermelon rind flavors. There’s a hint of that herbaceous quality the French call garrigue as well.
Côtes de Provence is an appellation in France’s AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protegée) system. Think of the AOP system like a homeowner’s association for agricultural products: when you see one of these appellations on a bottle of wine, you know it has to meet certain quality and stylistic standards. Other AOPs in the same general part of France that make great rosé are Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence and Coteaux Varoix en Provence, but these aren’t quite as common. So stick with a classic AOP when shopping at Aldi, and enjoy this delicious rosé with a Nicoise salad or just out of a tumbler by the pool all summer long!
Have you tried this rosé wine from Aldi? Tell us about it in the comments!
