Trader Joe’s Blood Orange Wine Is Late-Summer Magic

Step away from the cider. Don’t even think about making a batch of hot cocoa. Summer isn’t over yet, and Trader Joe’s has a blood orange rosé wine to prove it.

In fact, this unusual wine is perfect for dealing with that awkward phase in between seasons. You know what I’m talking about: It’s not rosé-all-day season anymore, but you’re not yet at the ‘let me pile on the sweaters, and sit by a fire with a hot toddy,’ stage. You need something in between, right? This wine can do that for you.

Produced in France, the wine retails for anywhere from $9.49 (on sale online) to $12.99. According to Maryland-based Finewines.com, it is “lightly sweet on the palate,” and “offers crisp orange flavor with a touch of orange rind on the back end.”

Bustle notes that the wine is made of 50 percent cinsault and 50 percent grenache grapes, two grape varieties that are frequently used together in blends. Grenache is a popular red wine grape that, according to Wine Folly, has a medium-bodied taste and subtle notes of orange rinds and ruby-red grapefruit. In contrast cinsault grapes are red wine grapes popular in southern France. According to the Wine Cellar Inside, they have floral, strawberry notes and are frequently used in the production of Provence rosés in part due to their low levels of tannins and acidity. Sounds pretty freaking delicious.

I’d serve this wine with lighter dishes, such as poached salmon with lemons and fresh herbs or arugula and tomato flatbread. Come cooler nights I’d try it heartier foods, like grilled meats and potatoes. Or maybe I will just pair it with a cozy spot on the couch or porch swing with a good book. There’s certainly no wrong pairing when it comes to this gorgeously hued beverage.