Cherry blossoms are in full bloom, sunsets are glowing of blush golden ombre and, finally, rosé season is nearly upon us! And it’s not just consumers who are excited; Chefs, sommeliers, and retailers all look forward to the pinkest of the wine seasons. Chef Taylor Mason, owner of LUCA and Pizzeria Luca in Lancaster, welcomes rosé season as a “rite of passage to spring and summer,” noting, “it’s always on our outdoor tables throughout the warmer months.” So, put your rosé-colored glasses on and keep reading for more on how rosé came to be, what it is and how you can enjoy it.
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The Jenna Carroll Collective
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The Jenna Carroll Collective
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The Jenna Carroll Collective
Pink-colored wine is said to have originated in ancient Greece by diluting the juice from white and red grapes with water. In 600 B.C. the Phocaeans, founders of the modern-day capital of Provence, Marseille, brought grape vines from Greece to France, planted them, and continued to make this lighter style without adding water. Naturally approachable, the wines were talked about all around the Mediterranean by way of the Roman trade routes. Eventually producers all around France and throughout Europe began producing their own styles of rosé. For example, in Bordeaux, winemakers created pale-colored wines from red-wine grapes and allowed the juice to macerate for a single night of contact with the red skins thus creating a violet-hued, pink wine. Continuing these traditions, rosé is still a mainstay of the south of France, particularly Provence, with which it has remained closely and strongly identified.
Today, rosé wine is made anywhere in the world where wine grapes are grown. The styles are diverse and dependent on the winemaker’s chosen grapes and production methods and are unique based on that decision. Red grapes such as Pinot Noir, Grenache, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Malbec and Syrah bring myriad flavors to rosé wine like strawberries, watermelon, red cherries, plum and blackberries.
Production methods start with pressing grapes and allowing the juice to pick up color and texture from the skins of red or black grapes. The resulting color of a rosé wine is the result of the amount of time the juice spends in contact with the skins. The longer the juice is on the skins, the more color will exist in the wine. Below are three different ways in which rosé wine is made to determine the color:
1) Skin contact, or maceration, is a method where red wine grapes are crushed and the skins are allowed to remain in contact with the juice for a short period of one to two days. The must, freshly pressed juice including stems, skins, and seeds, is then pressed to separate the juice, which is fermented into wine while the skins are discarded.
2) Saignée—French for “bleeding”—is a method that removes some of the juice from the must of red-wine grape pressing to more deeply concentrate the phenolics, color and flavor of the resulting red wine. The pink juice that has been “bled” off the red wine is then fermented into rosé wine.
3) Blending red wine with white wine is the historic method by which red wine is fermented separately from white wine and then the two wines are blended to the winemaker’s desired flavor profile.
Once the juice is pressed, the wine is vinified either bone dry or off dry for those who prefer a sweeter style of wine. Rosés that are vinified bone dry have no residual sugar post fermentation and offer a refreshing, mouth-watering palate—perfect for pairing with food and spring and summer temperatures. Rosés are also made as sparkling (think Champagne, Prosecco or Cava) or slightly frizzante (light bubbles) as is the case with Txakoli rosé, which hails from Spain’s Basque country. The climate where the grapes are grown will also affect the flavors in the wine. A warmer climate, for example, will result in more ripe fruit flavors in the wine.
With all these varying grapes, flavors, vinification and fermentation methods, rosés can be light, lively, petal-pink wine or deeply hued, almost mimicking a light red wine. Emily Crocket, beverage director at Revival Social Club in York says, “what I love about rosé wine is its versatility. Some can be light, refreshing, and effervescent, while others are robust enough to pair with bigger, bolder dishes.” If you’re interested in tasting for yourself, Crocket will be offering several different rosé wine styles on her wine list, both still and sparkling, this spring.
Rosé dons different names depending on where it was made. Pink wine is called rosé in most European and English-speaking countries. Rosado is made in Spain while Rosato is made in Italy, but the term rosé is recognized all over the world. Suzanne Elliot, specialty-beverage team member at Whole Foods Market in Lancaster, recommends the light-bodied Orlana Vinho Verde Rosé from Portugal, which she describes as having, “a bit of effervescence and good acidity. It’s a nice, inexpensive choice” for al fresco dining.
One of my favorite rosés to pick up at Whole Foods is a medium-bodied dry rosé called Love You Bunches, made with Sangiovese grapes by Stolpman Vineyards in Santa Barbara, Calif. Local sommelier and assistant general manager at McCleary's Public House in Marietta, Kristie Grey, loves the Couly-Dutheil Chinon rosé made from 100% Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley, France. She boldly says “Chinon rosé is the red drinker’s rosé” and it is the “perfect meeting of styles with a fuller mouthfeel than most popular styles but still has zip.” Chef Taylor is currently enamored with Day Wines Lemonade, which is not only a delicious rosé but also has a truly uplifting story. This pink wine is the result of winemaker Brianne Day’s steadfast desire to honor her vineyard contracts despite the Oregon wildfires a few years ago. Due to the ambient smoke from the fires, winemakers could not age and ferment their wines on the skins for extended periods of time. Brianne made her rosé using a shortened maceration, and the name was inspired by the motivational phrase, “when life gives you lemon, you make lemonade.”
According to Chef Taylor, the culture of drinking pink wine has evolved over the past five to ten years. He says, “it has become quite chic to be sipping rosé these days.” With an increasing variety of styles, pink colors and places of origin, there is no excuse not to give rosé a fashionable place at the table, the patio, or the pool. When life gives you warm weather, drink rosé!
