Now that Spring is about to have sprung here in Australia, it’s time to turn our eyes to my warmer weather beverage of choice: Rosé. If I could Rosé all day, I truly would. It’s something I drink all year round, especially as it isn’t all that cold in Brisbane. I just love these wines – they are the perfect option for a midday cheeky wine or something before dinner. Even with dinner! I mean, come on, this wine is perfect for most occasions. What’s not to love? But it got me thinking about a question I’ve been asked before – how do you make Rosé?
How do winemakers create this drink? With its pale pink colour, it is easy to assume that it is some sort of blend between red and white wine. But how do winemakers actually make Rosé? Let’s dive into some of the facts about making Rosé, to get you all geared up for Rosé season!
Is it just a blend of white and red wine?
You would be forgiven for thinking that Rosé is made by blending white and red wine. It seems like a logical way to produce wine right? Well, whilst you can technically create a Rosé through this method, it is actually banned in Europe (apart from Rosé Champagne – because Champagne is above all other rules of course). So it is something that isn’t commonly seen in wine. However, depending on the blend and the type of wines used, you’ll get a very different style of wine from a more common Rosé. So, if blending isn’t the answer, how do you make Rosé?
You need black grapes
Although there are a few methods of making Rosé, you will always need black grapes, those used to make red wine. This is because the skins of the black grapes give it that famous pink colour. So without the black grapes, you would just have a white wine. Fun fact: technically you could make a white wine out of black grapes because the skins are what give the wine the colour!
So what does this mean? Well, expect to see those black grape varieties as part of your Rosé rather than white grapes. Any black grape can be made into a Rosé, and each will produce a different flavour profile. However, some popular ones include Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, and Zinfandel. They will also often blend these together.
So how is it different from red wine?
There are a few different techniques for making Rosé, but the most popular method is short maceration. This is where the wine is put into contact with the skins of the black grapes but only for a short time. For red wine, the wine would sit in contact with the skins for many days. But in the case of Rosé, this can be as little as a couple of hours. The shorter amount of time that the skins are in contact with the juice, the lighter the colour.
So it differs to red wine because the juice is drained from the skins much earlier. The wine is then usually put through a similar process to white wine and fermented at the same cooler temperature. This helps to give Rosé its delicate flavour. It won’t have the same tannin and bold characteristics of its red wine counterparts, but offers something completely different!
The colour does not tell you how sweet it will be
It is a common misconception that the colour of a Rosé tells you how sweet it is. This is in part because Rosé was seen for a while as an incredibly sweet wine, and many of these were bright pink in colour. But the colour actually has little to do with the sweetness in the wine. Colour is linked to the amount of skin contact that the juice has with the skins. The more skin contact, the deeper the colour.
Sweetness is linked to how much fermentation is allowed to occur as the wine is made. The less time spent fermenting, the more sugar in the wine. This can also be added after fermentation. An example of this is White Zinfandel. It is well known to be quite a sweet wine, and this is because fermentation is stopped early. It just so happens it is also usually bright pink.
In summary – how do you make Rosé?
So there you have it! I hope this guide has helped you learn a bit more about this popular pink drink. Although there are plenty of ways to produce Rosé, there is definitely a preferred method of production. This produces wines that are dry, light and crisp. The kind of wines you can see yourself sipping over a long lunch. It’s right up my alley if you ask me!