Happy International Rosé Day, everyone—the one day a year where it’s socially acceptable to pretend you know the difference between a Grenache and a Pinot Noir while wearing pink sunglasses and sipping wine that tastes like strawberries doing the cha-cha.

Let’s be honest: the origins of International Rosé Day are about as mysterious as your friend’s ‘secret’ sangria recipe (which is clearly just boxed wine, orange soda and chopped-up fruit let over from their previous week’s dinner party). Officially, Rosé Day began in France…because of course it did. Allegedly, a group of Provençal winemakers in the early 2000s decided rosé deserved its own celebration, not just a supporting role at backyard brunches and yacht parties. So, on the fourth Friday of June (yes, they made it a movable feast, like Easter), the world raises its glass to the pink drink of summer.

Why Friday? Because nothing says “I take my wine seriously” like starting the weekend early. Also, “Rosé Monday” sounds like a hangover waiting to happen.

Albino Armani Rosé 2024 — Trentino, Italy ($15.95) (12.5% alc)
Featured in today’s show is Albino Armani Rosé (2024). With a name that sounds like a fashion house and a flavour that walks the catwalk deftly without tripping over itself, this rosé is peak summer in a bottle.

Its blend of red grapes are sourced from vines grown in the mountainous foothills of southern Adige Valley in northern Italy, where the harsh mountain climate is moderated by the influence of nearby Lake Garda—the sort of setting that could have been a backdrop for The Sound of Music. The aroma is all delicate white flowers and red berries, with a hint of watermelon and wet stone. It’s dry (just 4g/L of sugar), elegant and dangerously easy to finish—so not so much a sexy pool party as a garden party in the rain. Score it an 89/100 (I gave it a bonus point for having a name that makes you feel like you’re drinking in a Milanese art gallery).

The Alto-Adige region of Northern Italy. Yes, the view doesn’t suck.

Pair it up with summertime pizza (ok, maybe every season of pizza). Its crispness and subtle fruitiness cool down spicy pepperoni and peppers like a fire extinguisher made of nectar. Somehow, the wine makes the heat pop while still smoothing it over—sort of like a diplomatic friend who says, “I didn’t mean to ghost you.”

Cheers to the pink side of life!