Let’s start here: rosé isn’t a halfway house between red and white. It’s not just a “lighter option”, or a compromise. The biggest misunderstanding about rosé is that it’s a simple, one-note category. In reality, it’s one of the most diverse styles of wine on the planet.

Rosé can be whisper-pale or vividly ruby. It can be fresh and citrusy, juicy and red-fruited, dry and structured, even savoury or spicy. Some are feather-light and made to sip cold by the beach. Others have layers of complexity and enough character to age for years. And the reason for that? Winemakers are increasingly treating rosé not as an afterthought, but as an intentional wine - one that reflects where it’s from and how it was made.

Part of the confusion comes from marketing. Rosé boomed thanks to Instagram and Provence - pale pink bottles chilled on sunlit terraces. That style became the benchmark. But the truth is, colour tells you very little. A darker rosé doesn’t mean it’s sweet. A pale one isn’t automatically refined. The shade comes down to grape variety and how long the juice spent with the skins. That’s it.

In New Zealand, we’re lucky to see a full range emerging: savoury Pinot-based rosés from Central Otago, juicy Syrah blends from Hawke’s Bay, even wild-ferment, minimal-intervention versions from small, organic producers. It’s not about fitting rosé into one mould - it’s about appreciating how wide open the category really is.

So next time you’re eyeing a bottle, don’t judge by colour alone. Instead, ask what kind of rosé it wants to be.

One of rosé’s most persistent problems? It’s judged before it’s even tasted. Pale rosé has become shorthand for premium. But that’s an illusion - and a limiting one. The colour of a rosé is more about the winemaker’s intention than any kind of quality marker. Some want a whisper of colour, others want vibrancy. That’s a choice, not a hierarchy. And yet, the market often treats darker rosés as rustic, sweet, or cheap - even when that couldn’t be further from the truth.

That visual prejudice affects packaging too. Clear glass bottles dominate, because they let you see the wine. But those bottles also expose the contents to UV light, which can dull flavours or even “lightstrike” the wine. Thoughtful producers are choosing darker bottles to protect the wine inside - even if that makes it a tougher sell on Instagram. Rosé has also suffered from the glitter-and-giggle branding boom. We’ve had labels with flamingos, unicorns, and more pun-laced names than you can shake a cork at. That might have widened its audience, but it’s also made it harder for nuanced, beautifully made rosé to be taken seriously.

Thankfully, the tide is turning. Today’s rosé drinkers are becoming more savvy. They care more about flavour than fashion. They’re asking who made the wine, where it’s from, and how it tastes. That curiosity is opening doors for complex, age-worthy, or even wild expressions of rosé to shine. Looks can be fun - but in wine, it’s what’s inside the bottle that counts.

It’s all about delicious, bright and crunchy summer fruits alongside a subtle savoury flavour. Terrific, mouth-watering structure and acidity – all you could ask for in a premium rosé.

Try: Pyramid Valley Rosé 2022

Winemaker: Huw Kinch

Delicate, bright and organically farmed, this rosé has soft red fruits, floral lift and a whisper of citrus. It’s elegant and quietly expressive - the kind of wine that draws you in rather than shouts.

Try: Kelly Washington Rosé 2024

Winemaker: Tamra Kelly-Washington