Of course, there are rival Rose days.
Pink wine is so wildly popular and hugely trendy that everyone wants in on the action.
Thus, National Rose Day is tomorrow, June 14, and International Rose Day is June 27.
Pink is feminine -- but guys can also unabashedly quaff Rose.
Its pale pinkness delights the eye and pleases the palate.
It's perfect on its own on the patio or yacht.
Yet, it's also ideal paired with food -- salad Nicoise anyone?
Fresh, crisp, delicious and easy to drink, Rose is a match for the languorous luxury of summertime.
That's why National Rose Day rolls around every June 14 on the precipice of summer solstice.
It's exactly what Rose brand Bodvar (which is based in Sweden, but has the wine made in Rose's birthplace of Provence, France) was thinking when it inaugurated the day in 2014.
And then in 2018, the owners of Provence winery Chateau Roubine launched International Rose Day to fall on the fourth Friday of every June to honour the South of France 'art of living' and Rose's 2,600-year-old history in Provence.
While summer is still Rose prime time, the 'Rose all day' movement is gaining momentum from seasonal fad to year-round obsession.
After all, Rose tastes good any season and it's as welcome at Christmas turkey dinner as it is at a hot-weather picnic.
Classic, pale Rose has a universally pleasurable profile of strawberries and cream.
But, Rose can also serve up aromas and flavours of cherry, raspberry, cherry, grapefruit, blood orange and rhubarb.
.jpg)
So, pick your profile and your hue (from barely there pink to almost red) and enjoy a glass in this month of Rose and beyond.
Here are nine bottles for inspiration.
- Santa Margarita 2022 ($20) from Italy
Pale and perfect.
- Culmina Saignee 2023 ($26) from Oliver
Translated from French, saignee means 'bleed', as in juice from crushed red grapes for red wine being siphoned off to create a Rose.
- Saintly The Good Rose 2024 ($20)
Made by Arterra Wines in Oliver from domestic and imported wines.
- Aveleda Fonte Vinho Verde Rose 2022 ($18) from Portugal
Vinho Verde isn't just a wine region where white wines are made, but Rose from red grapes that are quickly direct pressed to extract pink juice.
- Maverick Invisible Line 2024 Rose ($28)
Made by the Oliver winery of grapes from Washington state.
The Invisible Line moniker refers to the Canada-US border that's easily crossed, in this case, by grapes.
- Sandhill 2023 ($22) from Kelowna
This 2023 vintage is made with grapes from the Okanagan, before the 2024 harvest was decimated by a polar vortex, forcing BC wineries to source grapes from elsewhere.
- Roche 2024 Rose of Pinot Noir Artist Series ($29)
Naramata winery, Oregon grapes.
- Noble Ridge Vilicus 2024 ($21)
This Okanagan Falls winery called its line up of wines made of Washington state grapes 'Vilicus', which means a farm manager who oversees production.
- Kismet 2023 Kamal ($25) from Oliver
Definitely the darkest of the Roses, a hearty, purposeful pink.
'Sparkling wine of the year'
'Sparkling wine of the year' has a nice ring (sparkle) to it.
That's what Evolve Sparkling House is celebrating after its 2018 Brut Nature ($50) won 'best in category' at the 2025 All Canadian Wine Championships, effectively making the bubbly Canada's 'sparkling wine of the year'.
The accolade comes just days before the brand moves out of its downtown Penticton home as part of the Time Family of Wines to create a separate Evolve Sparkling House on the Naramata Bench.
The exact date for the grand opening hasn't been revealed yet.
The 2018 Brut Nature was made in the Champagne method of 50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Blanc.
The second fermentation in the bottle gives the sparkling added texture, complexity and fine, long-lasting bubbles to complement the pear, orange peel and toasted brioche aromas and flavours.
At the same competition, Evolve also picked up a gold medal for its 2018 Brut Rose (a nice, sparkling tie-in for the upcoming National Rose and International Rose days) and a silver medal for the 2020 Brut Premiere.
Steve MacNaull is a NowMedia Group reporter, Okanagan wine lover and Canadian Wine Scholar. Reach him at [email protected]. His wine column appears every Friday afternoon in this space.
