In short: for a raclette, dry Loire rosés are a great option, livelier to our taste than many rosés from the South of France. Look for a Sancerre rosé (Pinot Noir), a Chinon rosé (Cabernet Franc) or a Rosé de Loire, which is dry. Avoid Rosé d’Anjou and Cabernet d’Anjou, which are soft and slightly sweet. Pick the most recent vintage: 2025, an early and promising year in the Loire.

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The Loire is the land of châteaux, Chenin Blanc and rosés that everyone mixes up. Because under the broad label “Loire rosé” hide some very dry, taut wines, perfect for cutting through the richness of the cheese, and others, soft and sweet, that would pair nicely with a strawberry dessert but not with raclette. Here’s a little guide so you don’t grab the wrong bottle.

Why a dry Loire rosé with raclette

InterLoire claims “freshness and elegance” for its region. That’s exactly what you want with melted cheese: acidity to rinse the palate, fruit to go with the cured meats, and no rough tannins. A dry Loire rosé checks all three boxes. To our taste, it’s often zippier than a Provence rosé, which helps it hold its own against a raw-milk raclette.

Sancerre rosé, made from Pinot Noir, is the closest cousin of Swiss Œil-de-Perdrix: delicate, fruity, ideal with a classic raclette. Chinon rosé, based on Cabernet Franc, brings peppery notes that suit a peppercorn raclette or air-dried meats. INAO (France’s appellation authority) even lists cheeses among the pairings for Rosé de Loire.

The best appellations to look for

Sancerre rosé: the Pinot Noir of the Central Loire

The Sancerre vineyards, in the Cher department, are known for their Sauvignon Blanc whites, but the appellation, recognized in 1936 for its whites and in 1959 for its reds and rosés, also makes rosés from Pinot Noir. INAO describes them as soft and subtle, pale pink or salmon in color, with delicate, fruity aromas. The vineyards were once planted mostly with Pinot Noir, before phylloxera reshuffled the deck. Sancerre falls under the Central Loire wine bureau (BIVC), not InterLoire.

Chinon, Bourgueil and Touraine: Cabernet Franc as rosé

According to INAO, the Chinon AOP makes red, rosé and dry white wines; the reds and rosés come mainly from Cabernet Franc, and the rosés offer peppery and citrus aromas. Bourgueil also makes Cabernet Franc rosés, sometimes supplemented by Cabernet Sauvignon (10% maximum). The Touraine AOP offers, according to the Guide Hachette, rosés from Gamay, Cabernet or Pineau d’Aunis. As for sugar, the Sancerre and Chinon specifications limit their rosés to 4 g/L.

Rosé de Loire: the dry AOP

Recognized in 1974, the Rosé de Loire AOP stretches for about 200 kilometers (about 125 miles) along the Loire and its tributaries, in Anjou and Touraine. INAO describes it as a supple, delicate rosé with aromas of cherry, strawberry and raspberry and a fresh palate. It’s a dry rosé, with at most 3 g/L of residual sugar. In our opinion, it’s a good deal for a raclette with friends.

Rosé d’Anjou and Cabernet d’Anjou: better not

These are excellent wines, just not for raclette. INAO describes Rosé d’Anjou as a soft, fruity rosé with a slight sweetness, and Cabernet d’Anjou as a rosé with a slightly sweet taste, made from Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. In our opinion, sugar and the cheese’s salt don’t get along: your palate gets heavier instead of refreshed. Save them for a fruit dessert, which INAO suggests for both, or for the aperitif, which it mentions for Cabernet d’Anjou. So on the label, remember: “Rosé de Loire” = dry, “Rosé d’Anjou” or “Cabernet d’Anjou” = soft.

The best vintages: drink the most recent

Dry Loire rosés are drunk young, for their freshness: the Guide Hachette classes Rosé de Loire as “to drink young.” Our advice: buy the latest vintage on the shelf and drink it within the year. The table draws on the reports from InterLoire (Anjou, Touraine) and the BIVC (Sancerre and the Central Loire); the “When to drink” column is our opinion.

VintageQuality / profileWhen to drink
2026Agreste estimate of September 1, 2026: drought and heat waves, a harvest down 12% on 2025 in the Loire Valley. No assessment yet of the rosés’ profile.From spring 2027
2025InterLoire: early harvest, moderate volumes, “very fine quality”; in Anjou-Saumur, dry rosés among a crop with very satisfactory ripeness; in Touraine, precise, elegant and expressive wines. BIVC: an early, sunny vintage, rosés with deeper hues, aromas of blood orange and raspberry, just the right liveliness.Now: the vintage to buy
2024A very rainy year (heavy rainfall in Touraine, record mildew pressure in the Central Loire), against the backdrop of a historically small French harvest. InterLoire announced “fruity, delicious” rosés, with freshness and aromatic finesse in Anjou-Saumur. In the Central Loire, the BIVC calls it a “winemaker’s vintage”, with fresh, very aromatic juice.Now, without waiting
2023In the Central Loire, the BIVC announces a “remarkable” vintage. No opinion on the rosés, for lack of a reliable assessment.Too old for a dry rosé of this style

Serving a dry Loire rosé

  • Temperature: well chilled, around 8 to 10 °C (about 46 to 50 °F) according to the Guide Hachette. Since the raclette grill warms up the table, keep the bottle cold between rounds.
  • Glass: a classic white wine glass, filled a third of the way. No decanter.
  • Order: Rosé de Loire or Sancerre rosé with the aperitif and at the start of the meal, Chinon rosé when the peppercorn or smoked cheeses arrive.
  • How much: in our opinion, about half a bottle per wine-drinking adult over the evening.
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More raclette wines

Back to the complete guide to wines for raclette. To compare rosés, also read our pages on Œil-de-Perdrix and Provence rosé. And if you love the Loire, Sauvignon Blanc from Touraine or Sancerre is another very good choice.

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Frequently asked questions

Which Loire rosé should you choose for a raclette?

A dry rosé: Sancerre rosé (Pinot Noir), Chinon rosé (Cabernet Franc), Touraine rosé from Pineau d’Aunis or the Rosé de Loire AOP, which is dry. Their freshness cuts through the richness of the melted cheese.

Does Rosé d’Anjou go with raclette?

Not really. INAO describes Rosé d’Anjou as a soft rosé with a slight sweetness, and Cabernet d’Anjou as slightly sweet. With salty, rich cheese, they weigh down the palate. Save them for a fruit dessert or, for Cabernet d’Anjou, the aperitif.

What’s the difference between Rosé de Loire and Rosé d’Anjou?

Rosé de Loire is a dry rosé made in Anjou and Touraine. Rosé d’Anjou is a soft rosé with a slight sweetness, made mostly from Grolleau. For raclette, choose the first one.

Which Loire rosé vintage should you buy?

The most recent, currently the 2025: InterLoire and the BIVC describe an early vintage of very fine quality, with fresh, expressive wines. These rosés are drunk young.

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