Many years ago, the world recognised rosé wine as an unstylish summer drink, things have rapidly changed, and the world is now acknowledging how charming and unique rose wine is.
Rosé encompasses stunning traditions from different parts of Europe. With the help of incredible winemakers and vendors worldwide, rosé has grown immensely. Many people now care about its taste, how special it is, and what meal it can be paired with.
In this quick guide to rosé wine, we are going to have a brief look at rosé wine facts, how and where it is made, styles of rosé wine, and of course, how to best store rosé wine.
Facts About Rosé Wine
Rosé is a French translation of pink wine, don’t get it twisted, though; rosé wine is not always pink in colour. An array of rosé wine could be pale pink, deep pink, light salmon, magenta, or orange.
Rosé possesses some qualities and flavours that are associated with red wine. The difference is its fruitier and lighter attributes.
How Is Rosé Wine Made?
Rosé wine can be made in any region where the red grape grows. At this moment, rosés are made from places as distant as Argentina and South Africa. Other prominent countries that make rosés are Spain, Italy, and Southern France.
Rosé wine can be derived from three (3) methods– maceration method, saignée or blend, and then blending.
Maceration Method
The richest flavour rosé in the Champagne region of France is made through this method, and this method produces darker coloured wine. In the maceration method, red wine grapes are left to macerate in the juice for hours, then it is finished with rosé wine.
Saignée Method
The Saignée method is rare. It involves destalking and then lightly crushing the grapes. Crushed grapes are placed in vats for 24 to 48 hours before fermentation, producing rosé. The colours and tan from the grapes are filled into the blend before fermentation. The Saignée method is popular in wine regions such as Sonoma and Napa.
Blending Method
To make rosé with this method, a little red wine is added to a vat of white wine. This is an unusual method. Many countries around the world frown on the blending method, yet, fine rosé wines such as Ruinart’s rosé Champagne employ the blending method.
Styles Of Rosé Wine
There are ten prominent styles of rosé wine:
- Zinfandel rosé: Also known as White Zinfandel, this style of rosé is sweet.
- Tavel rosé: A savoury and rich style of rosé.
- Syrah rosé: A savoury style of rosé.
- Mourvédre rosé: A floral and fruity style of rosé.
- Sangiovese rosé: A fruity rich style of rosé.
- Tempranillo rosé: A savoury style of rosé.
- Grenache rosé: A fruity rich style of rosé.
- Cabernet Sauvignon rosé: A savoury style of rosé.
- Provence rosé: A lean and fruitful style of rosé.
- Pinot Noir rosé: A fresh fruity style of rosé.
Shades Of Rosé Wine
There are three (3) shades of rosé wine. The first is the pale pink shade of rosé wine. Pale pink acidity is high, no ageing, the body is light, and the style is fresh.
The second is a deep pink shade of rosé wine; its body is light to medium, the style is sweet, it is none ageing, and it possesses a medium acidity.
Finally, the salmon shade of rosé wine. The body is light to medium, its acidity is medium, sometimes aged, and it has a fruity and complex style.
Taste Of Rosé Wine
As identical to rhubarb or celery, rosé wine boasts a unique, pleasant flavour on the end taste. Rosé flavour varies; the flavour depends on the grape used to make the rosé wine. Rosé wine could present a lemon, honeydew melon, or orange and cherry zest flavours.
Not withstanding the type of grape used, one thing is sure, rosé wine is highly rated because of its exquisite taste.
How to Store Rosé Wine
Like all wine, a bottle of rosé is best stored in a wine cooler. If you have opened your bottle, a wine cooler/ wine fridge can preserve your wine for longer. If you haven’t opened the bottle, your wine is sure to last for years in a wine cooler.
Some wine coolers offer dual temperature zones, meaning you can store some bottles in one section ready to be served, whereas others can be stored in the long-term uninterrupted – all within the same wine fridge. If you want to learn more about wine storage, click here. If you want to purchase a wine fridge, check out this quality collection of the best wine fridges in 2022.