ROSE WINE: THE ART OF BLUSH

Have you ever wondered how the pink-hued rosé wine in your glass is made? Here’s a quick run-down.

What grapes are used in rosé wine making?

Rosé wine

can be made from a variety of red grape varietals, including Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. The colour of the wine comes from the grape skins, which are in contact with the juice for a shorter period compared to red wine making.

Grapes for rosé are often harvested earlier than those for red wine to ensure higher acidity and lower sugar levels, which helps in maintaining the wine's freshness.

How is the colour of rosé wine determined?

The colour of rosé wine can vary from pale pink to deep salmon, depending on the grape varietals used and the length of skin contact during the wine-making process. Typically, the longer the skin contact, the darker the colour of the wine.

What is the winemaking process for rosé wine?

After the grapes are harvested, they are crushed, and the juice is left in contact with the skins for a short period, usually a few hours to a couple of days.

Maceration method:  Is as above and the juice is pressed off the skins and fermentation continues without the skins.  

Ontanon Clarete uses this method.

Saignée (Bleeding): Same as above but only some of the juice is “bled off” and the remaining juice stays in contact with the skins to make a red wine.

Direct Pressing: Directly pressed after harvesting with minimal skin contact. This makes a very pale rosé, almost like a white wine with a hint of pink. 

Domaine de La Rochette rosé is an example of direct pressing.

Blending: A small amount of red wine is blended with white wine to achieve the desired colour and flavour. This method is less common and often not permitted in many traditional wine regions, mostly found in new world wine regions.

Are Rosé wines sweet?

Different grape varieties have varying levels of natural sugars and acidity, which can impact the final sweetness of the wine.

In order to make a sweet rosé, the winemaker can stop the fermentation process, which converts sugar to alcohol thereby leaving more residual sugar in the wine.

A short cut which is found in new world countries is the addition of grape juice, sugar or sweet wine.

At the Wine Buff we stock rosé from over 11 different winemakers, who only use the traditional methods and any sweetness is natural from the grapes used. So next time you raise a glass of rosé wine, you'll have a deeper appreciation for the craftsmanship that goes into each bottle.