A sommelier says one sign always indicates high-quality summer rose at any price point
If you're seeking a good rosé wine this summer, there's only one word you need to look out for: Provence.
Sommelier Jörn Kleinhans, the owner of The Sommelier Company, says that rosé from the Provence region of France is the best available.
"In Provence they make unique rosé," he tells Business Insider. "It's always bone dry. We realized many Americans think of rosé as sweet, but only the bad ones are sweet."
And because of the region's excellent reputation with the wine, you can count on rosés labeled with "Provence" to be high quality, no matter how much they cost.
"It's absolutely acceptable to choose a nice Provence rosé for $10-$20," Kleinhans says. "You can find them easily at that range. The good news is that with French rosé from Provence, you don't have to worry about the price. If their name is on it, it will be a classy, high quality rosé. That tradition of excellence keeps the wine producers in check - no one dares to deliver a bad one."
In particular, Kleinhans recommends rosé from the seaside Provençal town of Bandol specifically. Like any good rosé, it's meant to be a salmon color rather than the cloying pink many wine drinkers have become accustomed to, and is always "bone dry and refreshing."