All the Rosé You Should Drink in Philly This Summer

Yards Brewing Co. | Facebook

We believe that rosé is a year-round beverage — but a refreshing glass of something fruity, crisp, and coral-colored really shines during the summer months. Even better, Pennsylvania and New Jersey makers have gotten in on the action so that you can drink local while you drink pink.

Here, we raise a glass to our favorite local rosés, from wines to ciders to beers. While many of them are available at better bottle shops, Wine & Spirits stores, and distributors in the city, others are available only through a producer’s website — so click through to find a source.

Va La Vineyards | Facebook

Va La Vineyards, Avondale
Silk
Winemaker Anthony Vietri grows on just seven acres in southern Chester County, but he tailors each section of his vineyard, on his family’s former mushroom farm, to the perfect mix of grape varieties for its unique microclimate. This dry rosato—which has been called a “red wine drinker’s rosé”—features big body for its style, with flavors of dark berries and a smooth texture on the palate.

Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown
Dry Rosé and Brut Rosé
Whether you’re looking for something to sip at your next picnic or a celebratory vintage that’s a little extra-special, this Berks County winery has the rosé for you. Their still rosé — with berry and cherry flavors and a vivid color thanks to red-juiced Chambourcin grapes — is perfect to go along with light bites and salty snacks. Pop a bottle of their sparkling Brut rosé to kick things off at your next celebration alongside a starter of supple Camembert and fresh summer fruits.

Yards Brewing Co., Philadelphia
PYNK
Yes, there is such a thing as rosé beer, and Philly’s biggest hometown brewery makes it. PYNK, their crisp, light-bodied berry ale, was once a seasonal affair, but it’s now available year-round for your sipping pleasure. Thanks to both sweet and sour cherries and raspberries added to the brew, dry, refreshing PYNK boasts a gorgeous, deep pink color. Try it with fish tacos, salads, grilled seafood, or fruity desserts.

Alba Vineyard | Facebook

Alba Vineyard, Milford, New Jersey
Chelsea Dry Rosé
Thanks to a long, slow fermentation and aging sur lie, or on lees — the broken-down yeast cells, typically removed before the aging process, that can add complexity and texture to wine — Alba’s 2017 rosé offers flavors of watermelon and strawberry with a long, mineral finish. Dry and crisp, it’s no wonder the winemakers call this vintage “summer in a bottle.”

Penns Woods Winery, Chadds Ford
Moscato Rosé
Along with a still rosé that evokes the flavors of strawberry and candied watermelon, this Delco winery makes a lightly effervescent, award-winning Moscato. This easy-drinking bottle is sweet yet refreshing — a lovely start or end to a meal on the patio.

Galen Glen Winery, Andreas
Zweigelt Rosé
The award-winning dry rosé from this Lehigh Valley vineyard is pressed from whole clusters of Zweigelt grapes, Austria’s most widely planted red varietal. Fruity and fresh-tasting, with notes of cherries and citrus, it’s an ideal pairing alongside summery salads.

Ploughman Cider | Facebook

Ploughman Cider, Aspers
Pinot N’Arlet and Kenspeckle
Our favorite Pennsylvania craft cidery produces not one but two pink-hued ciders: Pinot N’Arlet, a wild-fermented blend of aromatic Macoun and Arlet apple juice, spends time aging on Pinot Noir grape skins from a neighboring Central Pennsylvania farm. The result is a red-hued, delightfully dry cider that’s easy to pair with a variety of foods. And later this summer, Ploughman will drop their 2019 batch of Kenspeckle, a bright, vivid-colored cider that’s fermented with earthy, bitter aronia berries to create a dry, slightly tannic sip with flavors of strawberry and cherry.

Paradocx Vineyard, Landenberg
Viva La Rosa
This full-bodied, dry rosé out of deep souther Chester County leads with aromas of strawberries and currants and finishes clean and crisp. Plus, that pale salmon color looks gorgeous in the bottle and in your glass.

Vox Vineti, Christiana
Discantus
With just five acres of rocky soil in Lancaster County, Vox Vineti’s Galloping Cat Vineyard is tiny. The petite, low-intervention operation produces only a few hundred cases of wine a year — but after only nine years growing, they’ve become a Pennsylvania favorite. Try the 2017 vintage of their flagship rosé, a dry, Barbera-Sauvignon blend evoking tropical fruits and cream with a citrusy finish.