Rosé is on the rise. The ancient beverage, with roots tracing back to the sixth century B.C. in Marseille, France, currently boasts a 10 percent chunk of still-wine consumption worldwide.
According to analysts at Rockville, Maryland-based marketresearch.com, the global rosé market size was valued at $3.5 billion in 2024—despite an overall wine-industry slump—with a predicted annual growth rate of 5.6 percent and a valuation of $5.4 billion by 2032.
In the United States, the third largest rosé producer after France and Spain, winemakers, predominately in California, are crafting a variety of options.
French for pink or rose-colored and particularly popular during warmer months, the chilled beverage can be still or sparkling, dry or sweet, light or bold, and fruity or earthy.
As far as color—primarily based on exposure to red grape skins—rosés range from pale pink to deep ruby or magenta. Grape varieties, vineyard practices, and even barrel aging further differentiate styles.
In celebration of the seasonal sipper, which is increasingly popular year-round as consumers opt for lower-alcohol beverages, several Central Coast winemakers are releasing special vintages or attending rosé-inspired events, with proceeds to benefit local charities.
In April, Croma Vera Wines will be unveiling a 10-year anniversary rosé of grenache, while Thibido Winery and Shindig Cider will be joining 30-plus other wineries at the fourth annual Rosé the SLO Way celebration at Hotel SLO.
“When I started Croma Vera in 2015, my goal was to bring exceptional, Spanish-inspired wines to the Central Coast,” said founder Mindy Oliver. “Now, a decade later, we’re still doing just that—crafting small-lot, sustainable wines that reflect our region’s terroir. This 10th anniversary rosé represents everything we value—artistry, sustainability, and community.”
With only 70 cases produced, “we expect it to sell out quickly, given the special significance of this release and its support for The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County,” added Croma Vera co-owner Chris Steins, Oliver’s husband.
A portion of the wine’s proceeds will benefit the conservancy’s efforts to protect and restore Central Coast farmland, wildlife habitats, and open spaces.
Customers can grab a glass or bottle at the San Luis Obispo winery’s tasting room at Duncan Alley starting April 5 or at its release party on June 1.
Traditionally, Croma Vera’s summer favorites have been albariño and carbonic grenache, with the winery last producing a rosé in 2017.
“The carbonic grenache, Joven, has been a go-to summer option for guests looking for something light with fruity notes and served chilled,” Steins said. “This is a low-tannin, fruit-forward red that is very refreshing. However, with the return of our rosé, we expect it to be this summer’s best-seller.”
The Croma Vera team, including winemaker Jeremy Leffert, selected grenache grapes from Edna Valley’s SIP (Sustainability in Practice)-certified Morro View Vineyard for its anniversary rosé.
“Every vintage presents new opportunities,” Leffert said. “We chose grenache because it thrives in the cool-climate Morro View Vineyard, developing incredible aromatics and vibrancy. The 2024 rosé is fresh, bright, and expressive, with lively red fruit, citrus zest, and a slight crunch of minerality. It’s crisp, dry, and full of energy—exactly the kind of rosé we love to drink.”
Limiting their production enables Croma Vera to keep in touch with what their patrons prefer, and Oliver noted that they limit annual wine production to between 500 and 750 cases.
“Being a small winery allows us to stay nimble and continuously evolve to meet the interests of our guests,” she said.
In late March, Croma Vera rolled out a low- and no-alcohol cocktail menu—hand blending its wines and other imported beverages with mixers from Yes Cocktail Co. in Paso Robles—and will soon release a Spanish zero-alcohol sparkling rosé.
Another local winery, Thibido—which sold out of its 2023 rosé in one day last year—will be debuting its 2024 Best Day Rosé at the Rosé the SLO Way festival on April 13, then releasing it to club members on April 26.
“We are a very boutique winery producing about 600 cases of handcrafted wine,” said Gibsey Beckett, who co-owns Thibido along with her husband, Josh. “Every bottle is made with passion and care. Our rosé is vinified and aged in an 80-gallon amphora and is limited to only 40 cases.
“Right now, becoming a member is the only way to guarantee a bottle.”
As with Croma Vera’s rosé, Thibido’s 2024 vintage is 100 percent grenache.
Producing a top-notch rosé starts with the fruit, Beckett said. In Thibido’s case, it’s grown on the couple’s California Certified Organic Farmers estate vineyard in the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles.
“Josh actually handpicked the grenache block at 21 Brix specifically for the rosé so the acid and the sugar would be balanced,” Becket said.
The end result is a rosé that offers “mouthwatering acidity and delicate fruit in a shade of rosy pink,” she added.
Another Rosé the SLO Way participant, Shindig, with a taproom at Duncan Alley, will be mixing things up with cider options.
Co-owned by cidermaker John Wilson and his wife, Rhiannon Dudley of San Luis Obispo, Shindig jumped on the wine industry’s rosé craze with the release of Boogie Shoes in 2023.
Currently sold out, Boogie Shoes is a blend of Arkansas Black, Newtown Pippin, and Granny Smith apples fermented with red wine grape skins.
At the Hotel SLO event, they will be pouring Moondance, a pinot noir-dry cider blend, and Cowabunga, Wilson’s personal favorite.
“Cowabunga actually contains no wine and is a little bit sweeter than our typical dry ciders,” Wilson said. “We fermented it with lemon and hibiscus flowers, creating a vibrant pink rosé-style cider.”
To complement the festival’s myriad pink pours, Ryan Fancher, executive chef of Hotel SLO’s Ox + Anchor and Piadina restaurants, will be creating a variety of bites alongside guest chefs Brian Collins, founder of Ember in Arroyo Grande, and Dustin Valette, of Healdsburg, California, restaurants Valette and The Matheson.
Fancher said he loves pairing rosé with Bautista Farms tomatoes, “enhancing their natural sweetness,” as well as Tsar Nicoulai caviar, which strikes “a perfect balance of elegance and indulgence, where bright acidity meets luxurious brininess.”
“And when it comes to rosé,” he added, “we’re all about SLO and the Central Coast.
“Whether it’s the crisp, mineral-driven styles from Biddle Ranch Vineyard and Malene Wines or the more structured, fruit-forward bottles from Cass Winery and Paul Lato, there’s a perfect match for every bite.” Δ
Flavor Writer Cherish Whyte always thinks pink when the weather warms. Reach her at cwhyte@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Apr 3-13, 2025.