I follow wine trends. It’s one of the things I do. Last year saw a unique trend in the wine world; people went absolutely crazy for rosé wines.

I’m not referring to ‘blush,’ which are high-production sweet wines usually adjusted with doses of sugar and coloring (ugh!), but to the refreshingly crisp, fruit forward yet dry, pink wines.

Rosé wine is typically lighter in body, meaning lower alcohol content, and very young, usually the first wines of a vintage to hit the market. Although many people think it is a mix of red and white wines, Rosé is typically made from red wine grapes. (Some winemakers do blend in a touch of white.) Wine gets its color from contact with the skins. If there is no contact, the winemaker produces a white wine. Very little contact, say two to three days, will give a winemaker rosé.

What is making rosé wine’s popularity grow is a number of factors; the wine itself is good, it’s generally cheaper to produce, and the wines are very aromatic with aromas of fresh cut flowers, ripe red fruits like strawberry and cherry. And, the easy approachability combined with the lighter body make them great summertime wines.

So stock up now and be a part of the unexpected.