What: Seven Hills Winery Dry Rosé Columbia Valley 2014 $17 

Where: Esquin, Full Pull Wines, Leschi Market, McCarthy and Schiering, QFC (Holman and Harvard locations), Fred Meyer (Bellevue, Ballard locations) 

Why: It seems hard to believe now that there was once a time when rosés languished on the retail shelves. Consumers had come to regard them for what they often were—cheap, low-quality wines made for quick cash flow. Many were semisweet, made from cast-off juice originally planned for red wine. 

Flash forward a few years, and consumers now eagerly anticipate rosés each spring. In some cases, the wines are snapped up and sold out by May, long before the weather warms in Seattle. There appear to be two causes. The first is winemakers crafting wines with greater intention, with an increasing number growing grapes specifically for rosé. The second is no doubt consumer interest, which has skyrocketed. 

One wine emblematic of this trend is the Seven Hills Winery Dry Rosé Columbia Valley 2014 ($17). Winemaker Casey McClellan made wine for decades before he first started making a pink wine in 2013. Now, as soon as this wine hits retail shelves, it vanishes. All it takes is one look and one sip to see why. The pale salmon color makes it a beautiful-looking wine—and color is certainly a big part of the enjoyment of rosé. It has aromas and flavors of white peach, melon, and grapefruit. It drinks dry with plenty of fruit flavor to enjoy. It’s summer in a glass. Drink up!