In the world of wine, there’s a type of wine known for its dreamy, enchanting pink hues that always bring visual and gustatory pleasure. This wine also bears a very romantic name — Rosé Wine.
Many wine enthusiasts, upon hearing this name for the first time, often mistakenly believe that Rosé Wine is made from roses. In fact, “rosé” in French can be an adjective meaning “pink” or a noun referring to “a wine with pink hues.”
What’s the relationship between Rosé Wine and rose flowers?
In reality, Rosé Wine has little to do with rose flowers. It is neither made from roses nor does it contain rose syrup or artificial coloring. Instead, its unique color is achieved through distinct winemaking processes.
Generally, there are three main methods to produce Rosé Wine:
Skin Contact Method:
After crushing grapes, the grape skins are not immediately filtered out. Instead, they are allowed brief contact with the grape juice (usually 1 to 3 days) before pressing and removing the skins. Since grape skins contain many dark tannins and other compounds, reducing the contact time between the skins and juice results in a Rosé Wine with a body more akin to white wine.
Saignée Method:
In the early stages of winemaking, winemakers would bleed off a portion of grape juice to enhance the intensity of the resulting red wine; this step is known as “saignée.” The separated grape juice can then be fermented separately to produce Rosé Wine, making it a byproduct of the red wine production process.
Blending Method:
Some wineries or wine merchants add red wine to white wine to enhance its color, thus producing Rosé Wine. However, this method is discouraged in most wine-producing regions, particularly in France, where blending outside the Champagne region is legally prohibited. Even within Champagne, higher-end wineries typically use the Saignée Method rather than blending.
Why do some Rosé Wines have a rose aroma?
This is mainly related to the grape variety used. If certain grape varieties inherently possess the aroma of rose , such as Grenache, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, then the resulting Rosé Wine may also release a rose-like aroma.
However, to find Rosé Wine with a rose aroma, it’s essential to select young rosés, as the floral scent in older rosés is likely to have dissipated over time.
Today, Rosé Wine is popular worldwide, especially in the hot summer weather. Its refreshing and gentle taste makes it a summer essential for many. Whether shared with friends during a relaxed picnic or enjoyed while admiring the sunset in the evening, a bottle of Rosé Wine always adds a touch of romance and pleasure to any occasion.
