More and more rosé wine has filled the glasses of wine lovers. Associated as a drink to be consumed in the summer, many still think that rosé wine does not have much quality because it is a mixture of white and red wines.
Also known as rosé in Italy, Portugal, and Spain, rosé wine is one of the oldest styles of making wine.
It is one of the most popular drinks in France, a rosé wine made from any grape for making red wines combines very well with tropical climates and harmonizes with a variety of dishes.
Rosé has space on the table of any wine connoisseur, as it has a good intensity of red fruits, a medium body, and is versatile when it comes to pairing with food, which allows it to be enjoyed not only in the summer but throughout the year!
Is that you? Do you know how this delicious wine is made? In this post, you will discover the delicious secrets of the Pink Wave.
What though youth gave love and roses, Age still leaves us friends and wine.
-Thomas More- Former Lord Chancellor of the United Kingdom
Keep reading this article and discover everything about vibrant and delicious rosé wines.
Jump To Section
- The History of Rosé Wine
- How To Make A Rosé Wine
- The Grapes That Make Rosé Wine
- World Rosé Wine Market
- Rosé Wines Flavors, Aromas, Pairing, And Much More
- The Most Popular Styles of Rosé Wines
The History of Rosé Wine
Today’s favorite rosé wine was once popular in the Mediterranean basin. Its production and consumption date back to the Phoenicians, between 1550 BC to 300 BC, and the Greeks, about 600 BC.
However, rosé wines’ quality at that time differed from those made today. In ancient Greece, it was civilized to dilute red wine with water that was not of the best quality and was often associated with a source of bacteria that led to diseases.
As water was not the healthiest concept of hydration, combining it with red wine was the safest measure in preventing the microorganisms responsible for causing dysentery or other illnesses.
Therefore, it was believed that the healthiest way to drink water was mixed with red wine, making a drink lighter, sweeter, less tannic, easier to drink, and safer in terms of health and hygiene.
Another reason the ancients diluted their wine was that they believed that anyone who consumed undiluted wine could go mad.
The Spartan king Cleomenes I, driven insane and eventually committed suicide, even claimed that drinking undiluted wine led to his downfall.
Regardless of the quest for a healthier drink, the fact is that drinking diluted red wine has made rosé wine the Greeks’ choice for centuries.
In the 6th century BC, the Phoenicians brought vines from Greece to Massalia, today known as Marseille in southern France, where the same rose wine was produced and gained fame in the Mediterranean.
When the Romans landed in the Provence region of southeastern France, they had already heard about the rosé wines of Massalia.
So they used their commercial connections to turn the most desired wines of the time into the most popular in the Mediterranean region.
In the 19th century, French tourists began to frequent the south of France, where they had the sun, the sea, and a cold glass of rosé wine, suddenly becoming a symbol of glamor, leisure, and summer.
Over the next century, rosé wines arrived in the new world through two Portuguese brands, Mateus and Lancers, becoming icons in Brazil and the United States.
Mateus
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During World War II, 15 friends formed the Commercial Society of Table Wines of Portugal, where one member, Fernando Van Zeller Guedes, became the leader.
Later, Guedes transformed the company into Sogrape, and from this merger, innovative rosé wine was born at the time, called Mateus.
Its first partnership was with Brazil, starting the internationalization process. After a hesitant beginning, Mateus’ sales grew strongly in the 1960s and 1970s, even in Northern Europe and North America. With 80 years of history, Mateus has become a global brand of light, refreshing and versatile rosé wine in a bottle as iconic as its taste.
Lancers
Lancers is an internationally best-selling Portuguese wine brand. Its creation dates back to the 1940s, with the visit of Henry Behar, an American wine merchant, even before the end of the second world war to the José Maria da Fonseca winery. Behar was looking for an ideal wine by American standards.
At the time, Portuguese winemaker António Porto Soares Franco presented the rosé Faísca. Fascinated by the slightly sweet and refreshing drink, Henry brought the wine to the United States and distributed the wine called Lancers Rosé throughout the country.
The name Lancers refers to the painting “Las Lanzas” by the Spanish painter Velasquez, of whom Behar was a great admirer.
In the mid-1960s, Lancers sold around half a million boxes on the North American market, and in the following decade, it sold about a million boxes.
Today, Lancers Rosé is the trademark of a surprisingly light and balanced rosé, becoming one of the best-selling Portuguese wines globally, especially in the USA, Italy, Spain, and Portugal.
The wine symbolizes refreshment with touches of raspberry, watermelon, or tropical fruits, still faithful to the original idea from 1944. That is, it pleases and is easy to drink.
How To Make A Rosé Wine
Rosé wine is a drink made from red grapes and is produced similarly to red wine. Fun fact, the grape pulp generates a clear juice after being squeezed for white and red grapes.
However, grape skins contain pigments called anthocyanins responsible for various colors that can vary from bright red to violet/blue.
For red and rosé wine production, the juice or must is extracted from the pulp and remains in contact with the grape skin. As a result, the liquid is colored by the skin pigment of anthocyanin.
Specifically, to produce rosé wines, the winemaker reduces the contact time of the juice with the skins. This way, besides obtaining a lighter body and flavors than red wines, it extracts only a small amount of the pigment, making the color of the wine a lighter or rosy shade.
To make rosé wine, producers can choose one of 4 ways: Maceration, Direct Pressing, bleeding, and Blending methods.
Maceration Method
The maceration method is the most common way of producing rosé wine. It can happen before or during alcoholic fermentation. The process is the same as for red wine. The difference is that the grape skin is in contact with the must for about 6 to 48 hours, leaving just enough time to guarantee the pink color according to the winemaker’s expectations. The longer the maceration, the darker and richer the flavor of the rosé.
Direct Pressing Method
Like maceration, this method is done with red grapes pressed immediately, causing the must to contact the skins for an extremely short time, like the white wine process. In the case of sparkling wines, the result is a lighter rosé wine, sometimes referred to as vin gris (gray wine) or blanc de noirs.
Bleed Method
Bleed or Saignée in French is a method carried out at the beginning of the fermentation process of red wine, when about 10% of the liquid that already has the pink color is withdrawn or “bled” from the original tank to another container, where it will be fermented, producing the rosé.
This method is common in wine regions that produce fine red wines, such as Napa and Sonoma, generating rosé wines that are more concentrated in color and structure and with notes of cherry, blackberry, blueberry, and herbs like eucalyptus or bay leaves.
Blending Method
This method combines reds and whites that have already been vinified to produce rosé wines. Generally, these wines will have up to 5% or more red wine, as you don’t need a considerable amount to dye a white wine of rosé.
The method may seem simple, as it is similar to how the ancients diluted red wines with water to make their rosé. However, the harmony between white and red wines requires the winemaker’s attention to make the final product enjoyable.
This process is very uncommon in the production of rosé wines but popular in the Champagne region of France for making Champagne rosé. This way, French winemakers produce white wine, often Chardonnay, and add a percentage of red wine, usually from Pinot Noir grapes.
Rosé wines, through this method, can vary in style, from light to full-bodied, alcoholic or not, and tannic depending on the amount and type of red wine used in the blend.
The Grapes That Make Rosé Wine
Generally speaking, rosé wine is a blend made from different grape varieties, such as Grenache, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, and Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Barbera. Still, it can also be a wine varietal made with a single grape. For example, California rosé wines are known for being made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes.
Rosé wines can be sweet or dry, depending on the variety of grapes used in the process. For example, the most common sweet rosé wines are Zinfandel, Merlot, and Moscato, while dry rosés are made with Grenache, Sangiovese, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinsault, and Pinot Noir.
World Rosé Wine Market
The epicenter of the world’s rosé production is in Provence, France, with its dry, delicate flavor and slightly orange-pink color coming from the Grenache, Cinsault, and Mourvedre.
In 1999, Provence created a research center specializing in rosé wines, which began to analyze the main components responsible for the fruity flavor of rosés, among other studies.
Bordeaux and the Loire Valley regions also produce good rosés with Cabernet Franc, Cab Sauvignon, and Merlot. On the other hand, Burgundy has a low production using Pinot Noir.
However, the production of rosés is not limited to the region of Provence or other French areas but to all the countries that have set out to produce fine wines.
In Italy, rosé production is powerful in the country’s south part, but the Tuscany region has been producing rosé wines of excellent quality with the Sangiovese grape. However, in Alto Adige, northern Italy, they make great rosés with Moscato Rosa and Lagrein.
In Portugal, the highlight goes to the Douro, Estremadura, and Ribatejo regions producing aromatic and complex rosés with Touriga Nacional.
Many rosé wines are consumed in Spain, especially Rioja, Navarra, and Penèdes. Garnacha grape is most used for making Spanish rosés, followed by the Tempranillo and Merlot grapes.
In South America, specifically Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay have been producing more and more rosés with Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Tempranillo, among other grapes. The climate and terroir help the production of aromatic wines with good acidity, lightness, and easy drinking.
In the US, the states of California and Oregon are the most important wine producers in the country. Consequently, make great rosé wines, mainly with Pinot Noir grapes followed by Grenache, Cabernet Franc, and Zinfandel.
In Canada, the producing regions are British Columbia and Ontario, where rosés are made with Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc and blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay Noir, and Merlot, Chardonnay, Muscat Canelli, and Riesling grapes.
Global production has been oscillating since 2003, between 23 and 26 million hectoliters annually.
In 2019, there was a substantial decrease in rosé production in several countries, mainly in Argentina, Australia, Germany, Italy, South Africa, and the United States, while world consumption increased by 23.5 million hectoliters.
In terms of wine exports, the average price of rosé sold worldwide was €1.57 per 750 ml bottle in 2019, with France having an average price of €3.75.
France is the biggest producer, followed by Spain, the United States, and Italy. Production has increased dramatically in Australia, Chile, and South Africa, according to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine report.
Rosé Wines Flavors, Aromas, Pairing, And Much More
What Is The Right Temperature To Serve Rosé Wine?
Rosé should always be refrigerated and served at approximately 50ºF to 60ºF. Before serving, place the wine in the fridge for a few hours. Thirty minutes in the freezer can be a solution.
Do You Need To Decant Rosé Wine?
It’s not necessary, but it can have some benefits, as it allows the wine to be exposed to oxygen, improving the complex flavors in wines.
Which Glasses Do I Use To Serve Rosé Wine?
Rosé can be served in both glasses of white wines and red wines. Depending on the production method, it can contain the characteristics of both wines, or if it is only with red grapes, its aromas will come off better in a glass for red wine favoring the tasting.
Can I Age Rosé Wine?
Storing a rosé for several years is not a common practice. Basically, rosé wines are made to be drunk when they are young, fresh, and vibrant with their fruity aromas.
However, the rosé made in the Bandol region of Provence is an exception because it is made with the Mourvèdre grape, which has a good aging capacity of about 5 to 10 years.
What Will I Find When Tasting A Rosé Wine?
Typically, rosé wines are light, with medium acidity and crispy tasting notes.
The primary flavors of rosé wine are red fruits (strawberry, cherry, raspberry), citrus fruits (melon, lemon), flowers, and a pleasant green and honey flavor at the end, reminiscent of celery or rhubarb.
Which Food Do I Serve With Rosé Wine?
Rosé is known for its easy pairing with different styles of cuisine. Their fruity flavors and good acidity make rosés excellent to pair with spicy foods. As rosé is served chilled, its consumption has become popular during the summer and outdoors, including picnics, BBQs, and poolside snacks.
Rosé goes well with oysters, salmon, summer salads, chicken, grilled meats, etc. Its lightness and good acidity also go well with sashimi.
The Most Popular Styles of Rosé Wines
Many grapes used for producing red wines are used for elaborating rosé wines, giving notes of red fruits, citrus, and rose aromas, making the wine elegant, refreshing, dry, and sometimes full-bodied.
Sangiovese: Fruity, dry, rich, and dense wine with notes of strawberries, melon, and roses.
Tempranillo: A Dry, fruity, and good acidity rosé wine.
Syrah: Dry with notes of cherry and green reminiscent of olives. It is elegant, with a lot of freshness with a long and complex aftertaste.
Malbec: With its aromatic notes of citrus, red fruits, and a touch of pink pepper. It has a light and delicate color.
Provence Rosé: Versatile, classic, fruity, light wine with hints of strawberry and rose petals.
Cabernet Sauvignon: A Fresh, light, delicate, versatile, dry, rosé wine with notes of pepper, blackcurrant, and spices.
Pinot Noir: Refreshing, delicate, pleasant, and extremely versatile. Its strawberry, cherry, and melon notes are perfect to pair for starters, fish, seafood, and risotto.
Touriga Nacional: Aromas of red fruits such as strawberry and raspberry. It is balanced, fresh, and complex in the mouth. Easy to drink!
Mourvèdre Rosé: Full-bodied with floral notes and red fruits, like cherry and strawberry, with a slight smoky touch.
Sparkling Rosé: A blend usually of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier. It has an intense and, at the same time, delicate flavor, with complex aromas of red fruits and secondary aromas from the fermentation and maturation in the bottle.
Tavel Rosé: Full-bodied, flavorful, and very dry with distinct fruity notes and earthy touch, as well as nuts.
Bottom Line
A wine that impresses with its color and charm after the first sip for its fruity, floral notes and acidity that helps to pair with a wide selection of food.
Rosé wine has been prepared for centuries by mixing drinking water and red wine or even between white and red wines. Even shy compared to other styles, its market shows exponential growth in producing countries.
Despite the French region of Provence being the birthplace of rosé, many other worldwide wine regions produce excellent quality rosé wines, whether a blend or varietal.
The world of wine is vast and complex for us to just toast with red or white wines. Have you ever wondered how many times you had rosé in your glass this year? It’s time to try out some rosé wine styles.
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I hope this article has improved your wine skills. To learn more about wines, take a look at the Sauvignon Blanc: The Enthusiast’s Guide To Wine Lovers.
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