Rosé can be considered one the most dynamic wine categories of this century. Rosé is a wine style that falls right in the middle between red and white, but can also be similar to both.
Master of Wine Wine Elizabeth Gabay wrote:
Think about the marketing of rosé – on a beach, by a pool, on a yacht, as a lifestyle and compare that to other quality wine regions where critics talk about exciting winemakers, winemaking techniques, etc..
Elizabeth Gabay
The focus, she explained, has always been on how pretty rosé is - almost as if “pink” is the only reason to buy it.
But that’s not necessarily true.
In a nutshell
Rosé was long considered an inferior wine, especially in traditional red winemaking regions. In most cases, it started as a trend led by consumer demand, rather than producers wanting to make it. But now, more wineries across the world are investing in excellent rosé wines and the recent hype is certainly met by increasingly higher quality.
While this marketing strategy arguably helped transform rosé into a commercial juggernaut, it also came with the unintended consequence of undermining the perceived depth and seriousness of the category. In many ways, rosé is a victim of its own success.
Generally speaking, rosé wine is blended, which means it is made from different grape varieties. However, rosé can also be found as a monovarietal wine, especially in certain regions of Italy, such as Veneto. Watch out for Prosecco Rosé as a strong trend in 2021. Read about our rose wine recommendations with our Rose 101 guide [link to article]
What Is the Difference Between Making Rosé and White or Red Wine?
Rosé wine falls in between white and red wine. In the majority of cases, this wine style is made from red wine grapes alone, which contradicts the common belief that rosé originates from a mix of red and white grapes.
The main difference between the production method of red and rosé is simple. Rosé winemaking involves a shorter fermentation where the wine must (the grape juice) is in contact with the grape skins, compared to red wines. After a few hours, the skins are removed from the mix, giving rosé a unique pink hue.
The four main approaches to making Rosé Wine
When producing a rosé wine, it is up to the winemaker to decide on the style. There are many ways of making rosé. In some cases, the vinification is the same as for white wines, while in other cases, it follows an approach closer to red winemaking.
Phase 5: Rosé wine aging & bottling
Once the fermentation is complete, the rosé wine needs to age and mature before bottling. Transparent bottles are usually used for rosé wines to showcase its pretty colour. More and more producers now prefer to use screw caps instead of corks to keep its freshness intact.
Here are the main production methods for rosé:
Limited skin maceration method
This technique is the same as what is called skin contact in white wines. It is the most popular way of making rosé wine. The grapes are left for a limited amount of time with the skins in order to extract its distinct texture and colour.
Rosé wines made with this method are rich in flavour. The degree of pink colour and the type of flavours extracted depends on the duration of the maceration.
Let’s have a further look at this method.
Harvesting of the grapes
The life of a rosé wine begins in the vineyard. Generally speaking, rosé is made with red wine grapes, which, compared to white wine grapes, tend to be harvested later to reduce the bitterness of their skins.
The harvest is normally done at night or early in the morning when possible, either by hand or machine. Cool grapes means better quality wine.
Crushing of the grapes
When the freshly harvested grapes reach the winery, they are crushed before being loaded into a tank. Crushing allows the juice to come in contact with the outside of the skins, where all the colour and flavours come from.
Some producers also choose to distem the grapes. Stems can give unwanted bitter flavours to the wine, especially when they are green and unripe. However some argue that keeping the stems increases the complexity and freshness of the wine. It’s a stylistic choice.
Maceration and pressing
The crushed grapes are left to macerate with the skins. The maceration time can vary from a few hours to up to two days.
Once the wine is the colour the winemaker is looking for, the grapes are pumped into the press. Usually, pneumatic presses are used as they can press the wine gently and efficient manner.
Rosé wine fermentation
After pressing, the rosé wine is ready to ferment.The winemaker adds yeast to ensure a complete fermentation, which triggers the sugar in the grapes to be converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Just like for red winemaking, the grape skins are left on throughout the fermentation, in order to create the characteristics that make rosé unique, starting with the colour. The fermentation temperature is usually controlled at about 14 to 18oC which is lower than for red wines.
Rosé wine aging & bottling
Once the fermentation is complete, the rosé wine needs to age and mature before bottling. Transparent bottles are usually used for rosé wines to showcase its pretty colour. More and more producers now prefer to use screw caps instead of corks to keep its freshness intact.
Direct pressing method
Similar to the maceration method, the direct pressing procedure has a more traditional approach to winemaking. After the harvest (usually done by hand), the grapes are picked from exclusive rosé production areas and then are gently crushed, often as whole clusters.
The grapes are then pressed, producing a wine must provided with a very light colour, similar to the one of an onion skin. The maceration lasts only a few hours, with the objective to create wines that are really fresh and fruity. They taste great when sipped cold as an aperitif.
Saignée or “bleeding” method
The saignée method is the most traditional method of rosé wine production and the one responsible for an initial bad fame of rosé. However, today some of the best rosé wines are made following this method.
Saignée (French for “bleeding”) involves destemming and crushing the grapes before loading them into a tank. After a few hours, a certain percentage of the juice is “bled” (drained) off the bottom of the tank. All the skins are left in the fermentation tank with the rest of the juice and produce a very concentrated red.
The main benefit of “bleeding” the wine has to do with its colour and final flavour: such wines have a stronger intensity (more similar to red wines), darker pink colours and more defined primary aromas.
Blending method
This method of rosé wine production is generally forbidden in the European Union, with one grand exception: Champagne. Most of Champagne’s rosé wines are made by blending red wine and white wine.
A ratio of 1:10 red to white is enough to give the perfect colour, without having a big impact on the flavours of the wine. Around the world there are some producers who use this method for both still and sparkling wines.
