Mostly dry to off-dry, with fresh acidity and minimal residual sugar, what you'd expect from the best new zealand rose.

Not usually. Most rosé wines are made from red grapes only, not by mixing red and white wine. The pink colour comes from brief contact with the grape skins, which gives the wine its delicate hue and light fruit flavours.

There are some exceptions, mostly in sparkling rosé, where a small amount of red wine is blended into white wine to achieve a pale pink colour. But for still rosé, it’s almost always red grapes treated like white wine during fermentation.

Enjoy within one to two years of vintage for peak freshness; premium bottles can hold a little longer.

While a warm-weather favourite, rosé’s versatility makes it a year-round option: choose dry, crisp styles for seafood and salads, and rounder or off-dry examples for delicately spiced dishes in cooler months. For festive moments, reach for sparkling rosé wine or a trusted Provence classic like Whispering Angel Rose.

Not necessarily. Most rosé wines are dry or off-dry, meaning they have low to moderate sugar levels. Dry rosé tastes crisp and refreshing, while off-dry styles have a touch of sweetness that highlights ripe berry and floral flavors.

If you want to check a wine’s sweetness, look at the label for “dry” or the residual sugar in grams per litre — lower numbers mean less sugar.