Getting to Know Rosé

Getting to Know Rosé

For centuries, dry rosé wine has been a staple in the south of France, where it is widely embraced as the best lunchtime, seaside, and all-occasion wine. Particularly in the coastal Provence region, the heart of the world’s dry rosé production, a passion for dry pink permeates the culture. Provençal citizens know from centuries of winegrowing history that vin rosé pairs with virtually anything, all year round. In fact, French rosé now outsells white wine in France.

So what is a true rosé? First, rosé is a category of wine – just as white and red are categories. It takes its name from the French word for pink. Within the rosé category, you’ll find a variety of styles, some fuller, some lighter.

Even within a single wine-producing region, such as Provence, rosés will display a range of colours, textures, and flavours. Yet all Provence rosés have some common characteristics: on the palate, they tend to be fresh, crisp, bright, and dry. A typical American blush wine contains nearly seven times as much residual sugar per litre as a Provençal rosé. French rosé is by definition not sweet.  

What makes it pink?

A true rosé is not a blend of white and red wine. Instead, like red wine, rosé wine is made from red (or black or purple) grapes. But whereas red-wine makers allow the grape skins to ferment with the juice for an extensive period, rosé producers keep the skins in contact with the juice for only a brief time.

Then the pink-tinted juice is drained, or bled off, from the skins. The resulting colour, ranging from pale pink to a deeper shade of salmon or coral, is a delight for the eyes. (from provencewinesusa.com)