I want to start by saying, we are not in any sense of the word, experts in the wine world. We do however, know what we like and why we like it. So with all of the craziness over rosé exploding these past few years, I wanted to finally set out to find one, within budget that I loved.

Sure, we've been drinking rosé for a while, but honestly, I just buy was seems like a decent deal, doesn't have a strange neon pink hue, and has a cute bottle. Not the most scientific or useful way to choose a wine. I had a few go-to's when buying, but I knew that there were so many others out there I needed to try. And while I'm still on a mission, I think this little tasting exercise we did was super helpful in figuring out how to buy new bottles in the future.

So, I want to share what we bought, what we loved, and why.

When we went in search of a few bottles to try, I really wanted to try several price points. I know $$$ doesn't always equal quality, so we wanted to give them all a chance. These four ranged from $6 to $20. The La Vieille Ferme at $6, Le Canon at $10, Phebus at $15 and Miraval at $20.

For me, it's easy to know if I like something or not. Is it good? Do I want to tell everyone about it after? Is it worth the price? BUT. I know there are a lot of factors that go into why it is good... so we broke our tasting down into a few categories to rate each bottle on. 

• The smell, was it fruity, woodsy, earthy? 
• The flavor, well duh... what did it taste like?
• Body, was it light, medium or bold?
• Acidity, did it have a tart or smooth finish?
• Alcohol level, was there a distinct taste of alcohol when drinking?

So what did we think? We'll start with the most inexpensive.

La Vieille Ferme, $6: This wine was very light, but was not very smooth while drinking or in the finish. It had high acidity levels and I could taste the alcohol coming through the flavor of the wine. I really wanted to like this (hi cute label and nice price point), but will not be buying it again. Honestly, if someone poured it at a party, I may not have had the same reaction. But sitting next to the others and going back and forth between them, this was definitely in last place for me. My husband agreed with the notes above but didn't have as harsh of a NO to drinking it as I did;)

Le Canon, $10: I've noticed that many of the rosé's I've purchased in the past and loved, have had this lighter color to them. But the flavor to this was the least memorable. Maybe that's a good thing, it's easy to drink. But I was looking for something with more flavor. In our opinion, this had the lowest acidity levels of the 4. It had more floral notes than fruit (as the next 2 had), was the dryest and smoothest of them all. So overall, great for $10 if you're looking for something simple and light.

Phebus, $15: The winner! This one had so much flavor, we would definitely pair this with some sort of heavier dinner option (if you were looking for one to pair with food) because of how flavorful it was. It had a darker color, so I wan't expecting to like it as much (but did obviously). This one had a more fruity smell and flavor, like strawberries. The acidity level sat in the middle of the four, so it was a bit more tart while drinking, but had a smooth finish. If you were going to buy one, I'd go with this.

Miraval, $20: So this has been my go-to when I want a goooood bottle of rosé. And it will probably stay that way if I am just grabbing something at the grocery store (the others above were from a wine shop, so not as easy to find at our local store). Out of the four, this is definitely the cleanest and most crisp. It has an earthy smell with a touch of citrus fruit making it PERFECT for these hot summer days (it's like 105 here right now, SICK). It is slightly tart and a bit dry... meaning you're could easily drink the whole bottle (haha). I find that these go down so much faster (dangerous) when they aren't as sweet. It doesn't leave that film in the back of your mouth/throat that sugary drinks have. 

Now that we have all of the boring technical stuff out of the way... here's what I think all of these would be perfect for... in order of my favorite to least;)

1. Phebus, this is going to be my summer dinner party, or after work when it's hot af, go-to.
2. Miraval, buy this if you're planning on spending the day by the pool, or lake, or ocean... it's easy to drink and so refreshing.
3. Le Canon, get this if you're trying to ease into rosé, or if you need an end of summer hostess gift. I feel like it's pretty well rounded and something a lot of people would like.
4. La Vieille Ferme, I'd save this one if you're having a large party and have to feed a ton of guests. While it wasn't my fave, it wasn't bad. It is better than lots of cheap rosé I have tried though. So if you need something inexpensive, i'd go for it.

In the summer, when rosé consumption is at it's peak, our weekend snack is always a cheeseboard. While we still have a little meat and a few nuts, we like to switch out a lot of the heavier ingredients for things like fruit which is perfect to pair with your rosé. So if you're going to be hosting one last summer get together, this would be my rec for filling up your guests!

We used gruyere and brie, grapes, pears, figs and a little salami. So good.

I hope that helps those of you looking for a little rosé knowledge! Obviously there are SO many to try, and trust me... we're on it. I will share if I find something amazing.

But what are your favorites right now? I might put it on my list to taste!