Where To Sip Rosé Before Summer Ends

We’re equal-opportunity rosé drinkers around here.

Okay, we trust it goes without saying that we want our rosé to be high-quality and property chilled, but when summer is in full swing, we’re 100% team rosé (well, when we’re not on Team Spritz, that is).

Rosé is one of those wines that seems to fit in almost any time the sun is out: on a picnic, during a girl’s weekend, or just on the back porch after a long day. If we could, we’d crack open a bottle of rosé at our favorite summery places. Those corners of the world where it’s summer through and through—with great views, lazy afternoons, and a fun atmosphere.

These are the places with a mix of chic, laidback, and unique that we deem the most rosé-worthy: 

Zurich, Switzerland: Enge Seebad Swim Club

Just a few minutes’ walks from downtown, the Enge Seebad swim club set on Lake Zurich was one of our favorite finds on our last trip to Zurich. Locals head there for lakeside yoga, stand-up paddle, and swimming among the floating docks.

Unravel your favorite Turkish bath towel, soak up some sun, and sip on a local rosé (we like Château d’Auvernier Oeil de Perdrix) until the sun sets. And after? Head to yet another swim house bar (aka Badi bar) like Bar Rimini or the Frauenbadi.

Stockholm, Sweden: Orangeriet Bar

One of the things we love most about Stockholm is how a few-minute walk is a totally different vibe. And we love all the city’s vibes so it’s hard for us to choose just one place for sipping rosé.

On lazy Sundays, we like to hotel hop from the porch of the Hotel Skeppsholmen to the bar at the Hotel Lydmar. 

Biarritz, France: Plage Du Port Vieux

Truth is, pretty much anywhere along the coast in this darling French Basque town is a good place to have a glass of wine. But, if we have to choose, we’d head to one of the cafes in the tiny beach cove of Plage Du Port Vieux.

There the beach scene is straight out of a Gray Malin painting and you can sip a local Basque rosé (our pick is the Zudugarai “Amats” Rosé Getariako Txakolina) while you’re perched on the cliffs above the Atlantic.

Antibes, France: Champagne Lounge

We aren’t ones to get too chichi, but one totally luxurious place we dream of is the fabled Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, where, over the years, everyone from F. Scott Fitzgerald to the Kennedys stayed.

Their seaside Champagne Lounge works with 14 French Champagne houses for a list of bubbles (lots of which are rosé) that is a total dream. 

Aix En Provence, France: Lunch Alfresco

When it comes to France in the summertime, pretty much anywhere in the Provence and Cotes D’Azur regions is fair game for rosé drinking. And few places are more archetypal Provence than Aix En Provence.

This town has a green market that makes us swoon and is the place you think of when you think of drinking rosé in Provence, so we’d make time for a full summer lunch alfresco with loads of local food and lots of rosés, Bien sûr! 

Beirut, Lebanon: Iris Beach Club

Some of the boldest rosés we’ve had are the rosés from Lebanon. And there’s nothing that says summertime in Lebanon more than spending a day at a buzzing beach club south of Beirut while sitting a sipping a local rosé (the most popular are Chateau Ksara, Kefraya, and Musar) with the Mediterranean at your feet.

Nantucket Island, Massachusetts: Cru

If we’re going to have rosé in the summertime in New England, we want it to be dockside while we watch the sunset over the Atlantic. And Nantucket’s Cru is our pick for just that. A mix of Ralph Lauren chic, laidback elegance, and a lively atmosphere make this place busy all day, every day during high season.

It’s hard to top a plate of local New England oysters and a glass of rosé while sitting at the back bar—not to mention it’s a perfect place for the last hurrah before taking the ferry back to “America.”

Boston, Massachusetts: Neptune Oyster

Speaking of oysters and “America,” we have to mention Boston. One of our all-time favorite food pairings with rosés is oysters, and when it comes to that combo in Boston, we love Neptune Oyster.

Yes, you have to wait in line, so get there earlier and, yes, you can’t linger too long because of that line. But one of our favorite summer memories in the past few years was lunch at Neptune with excellent seafood and equally amazing wine.

Oregon Wine Country: Penner-Ash Winery

Speaking of Oregon, some amazing rosés come from Oregon wine country. On our last trip to the Willamette Valley, we spent an afternoon sipping rosés while lounging in Adirondack chairs at the hilltop tasting room of Penner-Ash and we couldn’t have been happier about it. 

San Francisco Bay, California: Cavallo Point

Yes, we’re more than a little obsessed with Cavallo Point, but that’s because it’s a spectacular place to get a view of San Francisco. Situated under the Golden Gate Bridge, the resort is set in old officers’ quarters back from when the land belonged to the military. After a long day of hiking the Marin Headlands, we like to grab a glass of rosé, sit on the hotel’s main building terrace, and just chill. 

Los Angeles, California: Malibu Farm Pier Cafe

Truth is, it’s really hard for us to pick favorites when it comes to where to drink rosé alfresco in Los Angeles. There are rooftop bars in Downtown LA when we’re feeling rowdy, standards like AOC when we want a fancy brunch, or classics like Chateau when we’re feeling chichi, but this summer, we’ve been all about Malibu Farm Pier Cafe.

There is a cafe at the end of the pier and a restaurant at the start (both operated by the Malibu Farm folks), but we’re all about heading to the cafe, grabbing a glass of wine, and sitting at the edge of the pier.

What about you? What is your favorite place to hang with friends and sip a glass of rosé? Let us know in the comments below.

Have Us Plan Your Trip

Looking to travel to California, France, or Italy? Our travel planning services are here to help make it happen!

After discussing your preferences during a short consultation, we’ll plan your perfect itinerary. Whether you’re looking for custom travel planning or a small group trip, the Salt & Wind team is here to help. Contact us today to learn more.

Photo Credit: Opening photo © Zürich Tourism / Elisabeth Real