People often fail to consider the advantages of Rosé wine over red and white
varieties. It is generally light and fragrant, and so ideal for drinking
with a summer lunch, or as an apéritif.It is now available from many of
the major wine-producing areas of the world, and french wines now have
to compete with quality wines from other parts of Europe, California and
beyond.
Wine-making methods in the production of Rosé
Although it is done occasionally elsewhere, the mixing of red and white
wine to make a rose-coloured drink is forbidden by law in France, except
for pink Champagne. There are two other ways of producing Rosé: skin
contact and saignée. In the production of red wine, the skins of black
grapes are kept in contact with the juice. If this contact is for no
longer than a couple of days, the colour will be lighter. This is the
skin contact method. In the saignée or “bleeding” method, some of the
juice is drawn off from the red wine early in its production and
fermented separately. The Blush wines from California are made using
this method, and perhaps the best-known of these is White Zinfandel.
Grape varieties
The french wine Tavel, from the right bank of the Rhone between Avignon
and the Pont du Gard, is world-renowned and is made from Cinsault and
Mourvedre grapes. The former are said to give a strawberry flavour. It
is best drunk young and chilled. Grenache is another variety used to
impart the taste of strawberries. This is amongst the grapes used to
make Côtes de Provence french wine, of which 80% is Rosé. There is close
control over the grape varieties used in production of certificated
Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) french wines, a system used in
France to guarantee quality of food and drink from the country. Côtes de
Provence AOC designation also requires 20% of the blend to be made
using the saignée method.
When to drink Rosé
Whether you have purchased a bottle of french wine or, for example, pale
pink-coloured Pinot Grigio from Sicily, you will find that it is best
drunk cold after it has been in the fridge for a couple of hours. It is a
drink for a sunny day, and can be enjoyed both before and during a
meal. Enjoy it outdoors with a picnic or BBQ, but AOC french Rosé will
not be out of place on the table at a wedding meal, as it is a fine
french wine.