Pink and Beyond: 11 Wines for the New Season

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Spring doesn't arrive all at once. It comes in fits, with a warm afternoon here, a cold snap there. The wines you reach for tend to reflect that ambiguity. As we head into the warmer months, rosé starts getting a lot of attention, but it’s far from the only thing worth drinking. The sweet spot lies in wines that are fresh, balanced, and easy to pair with food, whether they’re pale pink, straw yellow, or light red.

Here are 11 wines (sent as samples) to help welcome spring to your table.

Rosés and Whites

Medly Italian White & Medley French Rosé

Here’s something you might not expect to see on The Wine Chef: bagged wines. Yes, you read that correctly. But the best bagged (and boxed) wines are closing the quality gap. Admittedly, they’ll never compete with fine, cellar-worthy bottles, but they do speak to what many wine drinkers want today: fresh, tasty wines that work with food and don’t cost a fortune.

Medly Wine Co. sources 100% organic wines from family estates in France and Italy, packaged in sustainable 3L pouches (four bottles' worth!) that stay fresh for up to 45 days after opening. The Italian White ($54) comes from Sicily and is made of mostly Inzolia. It opens up with fragrant aromas, followed on the palate with a distinct saline element and a citrusy tangerine snap. The Medly Rosé, from the south of France, offers restrained notes of strawberry, citrus, and slate. It’s a rosé with more body than a simple summer quaffer. Pair it with ceviche or pasta with a light tomato sauce.

These wines are perfect for a night when you just want a glass of something dry and crisp to go with a casual dinner. During the summer, they would be perfect at barbeques, picnics, the beach, and poolside.

Medly wines can be purchased at drinkmedly.com.

Scaia 2024 Bianco & Scaia 2025 Rosato

The name Scaia originates from the Veronese dialect and means "crumbs," like tiny pieces of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese falling off the block. This is a nod to the chalky, calcium-rich soil in the Scaia vineyards, located in the eastern reaches of Valpolicella, which imparts acidity and freshness. The Bianco Trevenezie IGT (SRP $15) is a medium-bodied white made from 55% Garganega, the grape variety used in Soave, and 45% Chardonnay. Fruit-forward and aromatic with lively acidity, it’s a great match with Asian food.

Scaia 2025 Rosato Veneto IGT (SRP $15) is made with 100% Rondinella, a traditional Valpolicella red grape variety commonly used in Valpolicella blends. A delicate and floral rosato, this light-pink-hued wine demonstrates that Rondinella can stand on its own. Crisp and elegant with notes of strawberry and sour cherry. Try it with Moroccan lamb meatballs.

Bouchaine 2024 Vin Gris of Pinot Noir

I’ve been a big fan of Bouchaine’s Vin Gris of Pinot Noir since tasting it at the winery, with a view of the San Pablo Bay in the distance, where cool marine breezes bring a fresh and lively quality to the wines. Textured and distinctly food-friendly, this Napa (Carneros) rosé is light on the palate but far from shy. It shows notes of strawberry and crisp apple, with a lively balance of acidity and fruit. The finish is long, tart, and savory, edged with a subtle saline minerality. It reminds me of a Provençal rosé, but with a slightly more expressive, fruit-driven close. (SRP $36)

Priest Ranch 2024 Sauvignon Blanc & 2024 Rosé

The 2024 Sauvignon Blanc (SRP $30) is crisp and bright, with a precise nose of fresh-cut grass, green herbs, lemon. The palate is lean but textured, with acidity and tannin that are firm without being sharp. A versatile white that holds its own against bold foods such as fish, aged cheeses, and tangy chèvre. The 2024 Priest Ranch Rosé (SRP $28), from 100% Syrah grapes, is a beautiful, deep orangy pink color dry and crisp on the palate with red berries and a hint of bitterness and a long finish. Pair with pasta, salads, and roast white meats like chicken or turkey.

Masseria Li Veli 2025 Susumaniello Rosé

It’s not always easy to keep a wine’s crisp acidity in such a hot climate as Puglia’s, but Masseria Li Veli is a producer that nails it every time. The 2025 Susumaniello Rosé (SRP $28) wears its dry, sunny summer days well, without losing freshness—ripe, savory, and food-friendly.

Gianni Gagliardo 2023 Favorita Fallegro

Gianni Gagliardo's Fallegro white wine is celebrating its 50th vintage. A wine ahead of its time when first produced in 1974, it is one of the earliest vinifications of Favorita, the Piedmontese expression of Vermentino. The 2023 Fallegro (SRP $18.99), made from the Favorita grape, is a perfect wine for the warmer months: delicate and floral, crisp with bright acidity. Favorita is a variety that doesn't travel much beyond its home region, so if you see it, try it—perhaps with a seafood salad.

Reds

Avaline Red & Avaline Beaujolais

Co-founded by Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power, Avaline wines are made from certified organic grapes and are free of added sugar or concentrates. Both reds are light and fresh, meant to be drunk young, and best served with a slight chill.

The Avaline Red (SRP $24) is a Rhône blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Cinsault. leads with cherry and blackberry fruit, but there's savory depth underneath with hints of tobacco and tar that keep it balanced. Easy to reach for on a weeknight with a pizza. The Avaline Beaujolais (SRP $28), made from Gamay grapes, is even lighter and paler in the glass, with strawberry and raspberry leading. It has the same earthy backbone as the Red, but wears it more lightly and is just as good alongside a pizza.