Reviving Rose Wines - Techniques and Styles of Rose
Production of Rose Wine
Rosé wine is currently enjoying a well deserved revival and taking its rightful place as a serious wine with a depth and character of its own. 'Serious' grapes such as Merlot, Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet Franc are being employed to make Rosés with good fruit and character.
Rosé wines get their colour from three variations of production that a winemaker may use:
- Rosé wine is usually made from red wine producing grapes. Red or black skinned grapes are crushed and the skins are allowed to remain in contact with the juice for a short period. The shorter period of time that the skins are left in contact with the fermenting wine, the lighter the colour. A lightly coloured Rosé would only need about 36 hours. Next the grapes are pressed and the skins are discarded and the wine is left to further ferment. Grape skins contain much of the strongly flavoured tannin and other compounds, making Rosé characteristically dry with the fruit aromas on the nose and palate of red wine whilst maintaining the crisp, refreshing tones of white wine.
- Saignée or ‘bleeding’ is the second method of Rosé wine production. If a winemaker wants to impart more tannin and color from a red wine, some pink juice will be removed from the must (the juice of freshly pressed grapes, prior to fermentation) early on, by ‘bleeding the vats’. This juice is then left to ferment separately producing the Rosé as a by-product. As a result of the bleeding the red wine produced is intensified due to the reduction in the volume of juice in the must making it more concentrated.
- Adding of red wine to a white to impart color is the third method of production but is generally discouraged (and forbidden in Europe) in most wine growing regions now except for some Rosé de Champagne.
NB: There are some grape varieties, for example clones of Pinot Gris and Pink Muscat or Grenache that get a natural pinkish hue when they fully ripen and are able to transfer this colour to the final wine.
The Colours of Rose Wine
Myth: Rosé wines are not only pink! Like an artists palatte they can range from almost a pale orange, to tones of light through to dark pink, to a sumptuous alizarin crimson and almost a redded light purple.
Types of Rose Wine
Rosé wines are probably more akin to white wines due to their light, refreshing feel on the palate. Rosé wines tend to be light, medium bodied, with good acidity and can be made dry or sweeter. However do not under estimate their ability to pack a punch of fruit flavours and alcohol. French Rosés from Languedoc and Provence tend to be very light and dry whilst the Rosés from Bordeaux are much fuller in body. Spanish Rosés, Sicilian Rosés and those of the New World are also fuller in body and packed full of fruit and alcohol.
Food and Rose Wines
Rosé wines tend to be very adaptable when it comes to pairing them with food and are an interesting addition to any dinner party. Heavier fuller bodied Rosés from the New World tend to go well with meat and poultry dishes such as turkey and cranberry sauce, whilst the lighter styled Rosés would suit creamy pasta dishes, fish, such as salmon, or salads due to their higher levels of acidity. Rosé de Champagne is also great with curry!
Yes Rosé wines make for great quaffing wine but do not be tempted to keep Rosé wines purely for summer drinking. There is a whole new world of Rosé wines out there for you to discover.
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