New Zealand rosé: A buyer’s guide

Marlborough’s No1 Family Estate draws upon founder Daniel LeBrun’s decades (and his Champenois family’s centuries) of experience, specialising in sparkling wine. Made from 86% Pinot Noir and 14% Chardonnay with around two years on lees, this is a sophisticated fizz with red cherry, wild strawberry, acacia flower and brioche notes. Rich and textural with a long savoury finish, it’s lovely on its own and has enough substance to match well with food – try with fresh salmon.

Biodynamic Central Otago producer Quartz Reef makes some of New Zealand’s most exciting sparkling wines. The Rosé is made from 100% Pinot Noir and spends 24 months on its yeast lees, resulting in a fine mousse with harmonious strawberry, peach tea and brioche characters, excellent flavour depth, finesse and a fine chalky texture. Very good length.

<p>Pale, luminous and lithe, this Central Otago Blanc de Noir is made from 100% organic Pinot Noir. With very short skin-contact time, this increasingly popular style is a knife edge between white wine and rosé but its pretty aromatics and minerally bright palate are too good to miss. With stonefruit, nashi pear, citrus and spice notes, there’s good fruit intensity and a crisp, dry finish. A silky, refreshing aperitif-style perfect for a warm summer’s day.</p>

Neudorf wines are always class acts. The 100% Pinot Noir Tiritiri rosé delivers a lovely burst of fragrance and flavour, with strawberry yogurt, watermelon, spice and floral notes. Dry but rich in fruit, it has a generous, textural palate with enough phenolic grip and moderate acidity to add structure and food friendliness. Suitable for vegans.

This is the perfect wine for when you can’t decide if you want a rosé or a red. Grown on the Rocky Point block overlooking Lake Dunstan in Central Otago, low-yielding organic Pinot Noir is de-stemmed and then the are grapes allowed to ‘infuse’ the juice during fermentation. This gives more colour and structure than a typical rosé while retaining supple silkiness and lovely fruit vibrancy. Serve lightly chilled.

Pale salmon in hue, this rosé is made from old-vine Pinot Noir sourced from around the Waitaki Valley in North Canterbury. Light on its feet with spicy berry, watermelon and subtle savoury notes. Quite a creamy mouthfeel with subtle phenolics and a delicate minerally acidity, this is fine-textured with a silky flow across the palate. Suitable for vegans.

Judge Rock’s well-made, interesting wines are great ambassadors for Central Otago’s Alexandra sub-region. The Blanc de Noir is made by pressing organic Pinot Noir straight off the skins, leaving just a hint of colour but plenty of fragrance and flavour. Redolent with raspberry, ripe stonefruit, jasmine and spice notes, the rounded off-dry palate has balancing bright acidity, giving a nice clean finish.

‘The Jules’ is made from Gisborne Merlot grapes, which in 2023 were supplemented by a dash of Marlborough Pinot Noir. Lots of juicy ripe strawberries, raspberry jam and rose petals. Dry with good fruit concentration and an attractive creaminess on the palate, it has good texture and structure. Clean crisp finish, nicely long, this is a satisfyingly harmonious wine.

Tiny producer Q Wine’s vineyard was one of the first to be planted in the equally tiny North Otago sub-region of Waitaki, back in 2005. Made from 100% Pinot Noir, this has a vibrant nose of watermelon, cherry and lifted floral notes, while the palate has ripe strawberry, fresh peach and a pleasing savoury textural element. Minerally acidity gives a long, clean finish.

Delicate and dry with a pale candyfloss hue, this Hawke’s Bay rosé is made from predominantly Gimblett Gravels Merlot with a dash of Tempranillo. Wild raspberry, red cherries, a touch of spice and rosewater, this is juicy, textural and moreish. Very food-friendly, a nice match for summer quiches.

Cuvar is the new label for Sir George Fistonich, formerly of Villa Maria Wines. Pale orangey pink, this is plummy with savoury earth and biscuit notes, plus a hint of violets and strawberry. It has good concentration with a rounded juiciness; easy to enjoy on its own, its palate weight suggests it will also hold up nicely with summer salads. Made from 100% Cabernet Franc.

A glowing rosy pink with lots of ripe fruit on the nose: watermelon, strawberries and cream, a touch of candyfloss and a little bit of spice. The palate is rounded and silky with crunchy acidity and good depth of fruit. A dry mouth-filling style made from TWR’s organic Home Vineyard, on Pinot Noir blocks grown purposely for rosé.

The Isle of Beauty rosé is a nod to winemaker Dave Clouston’s time spent in Corsica, which spurred on his love of pale, dry, flavoursome rosés. As befitting its stylised strawberry-shaped bottle base, there’s plenty of berry fruit plus ripe peach and thyme notes. A blend of Pinot Noir, Syrah and Viognier, this is a fragrant, pretty wine with a chalky texture and crisp, dry finish.

Hailing from Central Otago’s Alexandra sub-region, Immigrant’s Vineyard is a small producer with a solid range of wines. This is an aromatic, fresh Pinot Noir rosé with redcurrant, cherry and lavender notes, a crisp palate with generous fruit and a crunchy red apple finish – it’s a great aperitif style. ‘Ruru’ is the name of New Zealand’s little native owl.

An enticingly aromatic wine, with delicate strawberry and floral aromas leading to a palate with good flavour intensity – watermelon, cranberry and peach tea plus flashes of bright citrus. As befitting its Leftfield moniker (and quirky label), this is a unique blend of Merlot, Pinot Noir, Arneis and Pinot Gris, grown in sunny Hawke’s Bay.

Made predominantly from Malbec, this is a lively wine packed with vibrant summer fruits, florals and fresh herbs. Dry, with rich fruit concentration and some time on lees adding a creamy mouthfeel, its zippy acidity gives good freshness and vitality, making for a very moreish, easy to enjoy style. Suitable for vegans.

Strawberries and cream, watermelon, wild raspberries and sweet herbs, this wine is a veritable summer’s smorgasbord. Made from 100% Pinot Noir, it’s a straightforward style with a succulent, juicy fruited palate, plenty of ripe fruit intensity and a crisp lick of citrussy acidity on the finish that leaves you wanting more.

Pale salmon pink, this blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir comes together in an uncomplicated, inviting style with plenty of rockmelon, stonefruit and spice notes. Tthe small percentage of lees ageing and malo have added a creamy texture and lingering finish. Certified organic and vegan friendly.

Blackenbrook is a small Nelson producer making characterful wines that capture the region’s intense fruit purity. Made from 100% Pinot Noir, this is an attractive rose red colour with lots of watermelon, plum jam, strawberry and light spice aromas and flavours. Just off-dry with a juicy silky freshness, it’s very easy to drink, with plenty of charm and vitality.

This appealingly vivacious, fruit-forward rosé is one of the biggest sellers in New Zealand and Australia, reflecting the intention of The Ned’s winemakers to 'work with a boutique philosophy, but at scale'. Made from Pinot Noir with a tiny dash of Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc, it’s all strawberries and cream, rose petals and red currants, with a thread of spicy citrus and tangy acidity. Summer in a glass.