Once upon a time, rosé Champagne was, well, let’s say not the thing. In the 1950s and 1960s, Madame Lily Bollinger, in fact, forbade her staff from producing it at all. At the time, pink Champagne was said to be the drink of choice in Parisian brothels, which earned her formidable disapproval.

How things have changed. In the last few years, rosé has been around 18% of Champagne exports to the United States — quite a climb from 20 years ago, when it was under three percent. U.S. consumers drank nearly six million bottles of it in 2022, in fact. [Editor’s note: The author contributed significantly to this statistic.]

Unlike other still rosés, which are typically made solely from red grapes, rosé Champagne is most often made with a small addition of red wine, either from Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. The amount varies, and so do the hues of the wines, ranging from pale copper to salmon-orange or vibrant pink. Rosé Champagne tends to be fuller-bodied, its layers of flavor suited to pairing with a main course or something as simple as toast.

It also tends to be a bit pricey.

But sometimes a splurge is needed. Madame Bollinger perhaps summed it up best herself, famed for saying, “I drink Champagne when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it ― unless I’m thirsty.”

Champagne Moët & Chandon Rosé Impérial ($64)

Vibrantly pink, this widely available cuvée from one of Champagne’s largest producers has lots of bright citrus rind, red berry, and floral aspects, with a faint caramelized note recalling cotton candy, interestingly (but without any overt sweetness).

Champagne Geoffroy Rosé de Saignée ($72)

This grower Champagne (from a single estate rather than dozens of different vineyards) uses the saignée technique — red grapes are macerated on the skins, then the wine drawn off. As a result it’s a much darker, almost strawberry-hued rosé, full of cherry and strawberry notes and a lot of body. Pair it with a burger or ribs.

Champagne Lanson Le Rosé ($80)

There’s so much pleasure on offer in this salmon-pink, super-crisp sparkler: flavors suggesting sweet raspberry and lemon verbena, ultra-fine bubbles, and lots of elegance. Lanson, founded in 1760, is one of the oldest houses in Champagne.

Champagne Dehours & Fils Oeil de Perdrix Extra Brut ($84)

This pale rosé Champagne is unusually composed of 83% Pinot Meunier, giving it a distinctive, and very appealing earthy chalkiness. Those savory characteristics complement the blood orange and raspberry fruit notes. “Oeil de Perdrix” means “partridge’s eye,” a reference to the wine’s hue.

Gosset Champagne Grand Rosé Brut ($94)

Gosset has been making wine in the Champagne region since 1584, though it wasn’t sparkling until the 1700s. That long experience shows in this supple, lingering rosé cuvée, coppery-orange in color and full of orange blossom, spice and talc notes.

Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé ($100)

If there’s an iconic non-vintage rosé Champagne bottling, Billecart-Salmon’s may well be it. Pale salmon-hued, it’s supremely graceful, balancing red fruit and citrus notes effortlessly. It’s very hard not to be impressed by this bottle, and as a bonus, the family intends for 100% of its vineyards to be organic by 2025.

Champagne Bollinger Rosé Brut ($156)

Bollinger didn’t release a non-vintage rosé until 2008 — Lily Bollinger, who ran the house for years, was not a fan of the style — but when they did, it was superb, and remains so. Typical of Bollinger in its richer, more full-bodied style, with peach and nectarine accents, this brut rosé is a blend of 62% Pinot Noir with 24% Chardonnay and 14% Pinot Meunier.