In the last few years though, a much broader consumer base has caught on to the charms of sparkling rose. Most of these wines are elegant, dry and flavorful, and the festive color certainly doesn’t diminish their appeal. Suddenly Rose Champagne is the fastest-growing segment in the sparkling wine category, and producers are rolling out new labels, and amping up production as fast as they can. Sparkling rose prices run from under $30 for light, everyday bubbly to well over $500 for vintage Rose Champagne. (Note: It’s called “Rose Champagne” if it comes from France’s Champagne area and “sparkling rose” if it comes from anywhere else.)

Good sparkling rose offers all the complexity and many of the same flavors as a red wine without the heaviness. A good rule of thumb is sparkling rose works with any food you might pair with a Pinot Noir:  pork, duck, salmon and tuna. This makes sense, as Pinot Noir is nearly always used in the production of sparkling rose (it should also be noted that Pinot Noir is usually the dominant grape in regular Champagne as well).

How Does It Get Pink? Rose bubbly can get its pink hue in a number of ways. With Rose Champagne, it’s usually achieved by adding a little bit of red wine (typically Pinot Noir) at some point in the production process. Most sparkling roses from the rest of the world are made pink by allowing the red grape skins to stay in contact with the juices for awhile during the fermentation process.

If the summer heat has you intrigued enough to go out and try a sparkling rose, here are a few suggestions to try that should cost under $30:
•    Banti Rosa Regale
•    Chandon Rose
•    Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Rose
•    Korbel Brut Rose

If you’re only willing to try Champagne, here are some suggestions for bottles under $100:
•    NV Pommery Brut Rose
•    NV Moet et Chandon Brut Rose
•    Veuve Clicquot Brut Rose Reserve Vintage
•    NV Taittinger Brut Prestige Rose

For those who only drink the best, or for those believing that any rose really isn’t all that and a bag of chips, check out these bottles which usually run over $200 per bottle:
•    Louis Roederer Cristal Rose
•    1998 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rose
•    1996 Moet et Chandon Dom Perignon Rose
•    2003 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Brut Rose
•    2002 Perrier Jouet Fleur de Champagne Rose