(WSJ) - WHAT MAKES a good rosé? Is it the color, the grape variety or the country where it's produced? Well, for me, a good rosé should primarily be refreshing. This is a wine you can enjoy chilled and served on its own while sitting in the garden or as a simple aperitif before supper. It should possess good citrusy acidity and a smell replete with summer fruits—strawberries, raspberries, peaches and melon. And it should be dry.

What it shouldn't taste of is bubble gum, hard candy or jam. These examples can too often leave a cloying aftertaste. No, a good rosé should act like any fine wine and have the structure and mineral core to accompany food, especially the rich flavors associated with Provence, which is where I like to source my rosés.

There, with vines nestled among olive trees and pine groves buzzing with cicadas, rosé finds its best expression. Usually very pale in color, these wines also have the structure and spiciness to provide a welcome summer alternative to red wine. Often a blend of Grenache (which adds structure), Cinsaut (which imparts softness and perfume) and Syrah (for its acidity and tannin), they are never inexpensive but they rarely disappoint.

To put my taste buds to the test, I recently attended a blind tasting of 32 different rosés assembled from myriad countries and regions, including Spain, Italy, England, Australia, New Zealand and France (Bordeaux, the Loire Valley and, of course, Provence).