Little-Known Nuggets about Rosé Wine and Top Rosé Regions

Rose wine, it seems logical to many, results from blending white wine with a little red wine until the desired color appears, right?

Actually, no. Rose wines can be made using a few different winemaking methods, but assemblage does not count among them. These wines, which can vary in color from light grey-pink to nearly scarlet, have their own secrets and distinct production methods.

First, the question so many ask:

Is Rosé Wine Sweet?

It may be, but most are made in dry or semi-dry styles. Do not expect all rose wines to be very sweet like White Zinfandel. Any winery that makes red wine can also make a rose, but the decision as to what methods to use matter a lot. In addition, of course, the grape variety and geographic origin of the wine will affect its aroma, sweetness, color, and taste. A Provençal rosé will differ from a German rosé, which won’t be the same as that from the Russian River Valley.

A Word of Wine to Explore

We will explore the wonderful word of rose wines, including, first, the different ways of making a rosé as well as some suggestion about where to find the top rosé wines around the world. Just as you may prefer a Cabernet Sauvignon to a Pinot Noir, so too the world of rosés offers amazing diversity of wine styles. Do you like fruity character or floral notes? Will darker rosés provide more flavor and richness? Let’s explore.

Methods of Making Rosé Wines

Except for some teinturier varieties, the vast majority of red grape varieties have white pulp, and red wine is only produced when the grape ferments with the skin (the pomace), absorbing its color. (Teinturier grapes actually have a colored pulp). The shade of rosé wines, therefore, depends on the amount of time the juice (which is practically colorless) remains in contact with the grape skin during the very important process known as maceration. The longer the juice (known as the must) and skins remain in contact, the darker the color of the wine. To learn more about wine production techniques and how they affect the quality of wine, sign up now for a Bevinars class with wine expert Mark Oldman. (Don’t forget to bring some rosé to taste with him!)

A widespread myth is that making a good rosé is easier than making a good red wine; this is incorrect, as quality rosé winemaking is probably one of the most complex processes that requires the most work from winemakers. The production of rosé wine presents specific challenges in both the correct selection of grape varieties (mainly in terms of their proportions and degree of ripeness) and in its production, as it requires extracting a minimum of color and a maximum of aromas within a limited time frame. Its preservation process is also more challenging because its grapes tend to be more fragile and ephemeral, making it more difficult to maintain their fruitiness.

Although there is no precise definition for this type of wine, there are three methods of production that give rosé wines their characteristic pink to salmon color. These are maceration, vin gris, and the saignée method.

Maceration

The contact of the juice with the grape skin is the most traditional method of rosé wine production. During maceration, the elements that contribute to color, as well as many flavor components, remain in contact with the must. Red wines typically undergo maceration for several days (even several weeks), but for rosé wine production, maceration is shorter (often between 2 and 24 hours), resulting in a lighter color. Of course, the depth of color of the skins will affect how dark and how quickly the wine turns pink.

Vin Gris

Unlike the maceration method, which allows a brief period for the must to come into contact with the skins, vin gris wines are made from the immediate pressing of red grapes, without maceration time. Despite the name “vin gris,” the resulting juice is not actually gray but a very pale pink, much lighter than rosés made by maceration or the saignée method. Winemakers in Champagne perfected making vin gris wines in the late eighteenth century. These grayish wines are now typical of Provence.

The Saignée Method

The saignée method (meaning “bleeding” in French) involves removing part of the juice from the must to concentrate the phenolics more deeply, giving the wines more color and flavor. It has a long history of use in the French wine regions, like Bordeaux, though it was not always used for rosé production. In fact, its use in producing this type of wine is considered late and was initially aimed at adding a rosé wine to a primary red wine that could be released to the market much earlier. This is why some experts do not consider wines made using this method to be authentic rosés, as they categorize them as a by-product of fermenting red wines.