Rosé wine

1. The production of rosé wine

Obtaining a balanced rosé is the result of a delicate process, and mastering the stages of production is essential to obtaining a wine that is both fruity and aromatic, but without tannins. It is this balance that today makes rosé wines so successful, wines whose production appeared before that of white or red wines. Selecting the right plots of land is one of the keys to producing a successful rosé vintage.

When the grapes arrive at the winery, they are destemmed (or crushed), i.e. removed from their stems. They are then crushed, i.e. lightly crushed to release the juice.

There are two possible options: maceration (or bleeding) and direct pressing, the latter technique being increasingly used for modern rosés.

For maceration, the must obtained from crushing and destemming, i.e., a mixture of solid and liquid elements, is placed in vats. The fermentation period lasts only a few hours at low temperature. It is the control of this maceration period that will produce a wine with character, without taking on the tannins that characterize red wine, which come from the same grape varieties. The pigments present in the grape skin give the juice its pink color. The juice is then collected by pressing or by using special tanks that allow for significant extraction of the liquid part of the must. Rosé wines produced by maceration have a deep color.

Direct pressing is currently more in line with consumer tastes, who want wines that are lighter in color and lively on the palate. It involves sending the grapes that arrive at the winery directly to the press after destemming them.

The juice obtained either from direct pressing or short maceration is transferred to a settling tank to be clarified. The particles contained in the juice settle at the bottom of the tank and this "lees" is then separated from the juice. It then moves on to the alcoholic fermentation stage. This is followed by a relatively short period of aging during which the clarified and stabilized wine undergoes a number of operations to confirm its qualities.

2. Red wine and white wine do not make rosé wine.

The misconception that rosé wine is made by mixing red wine and white wine has fortunately been dispelled by the vast majority of consumers. However, under pressure from certain manufacturers, the European Union had adopted a draft regulation authorizing such blends to be called rosé wine, as is the practice in South Africa and Australia. Most of the European winegrowers concerned were fiercely opposed to this solution in order to preserve the quality and reputation of a wine whose quality they had been striving to improve for more than ten years. It is clear that the "rosés" obtained in this way are only poor-quality products that allow poor production to be sold thanks to this more festive presentation of the wine. Such regulations are no longer relevant today.

It is interesting to note, however, that the major exception to this prohibition on blending concerns Champagne wine. It is possible to blend Chardonnay with Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier to produce rosé Champagne. However, the resulting blend undergoes a new fermentation phase specific to Champagne, meaning that rosé Champagne is not simply a blend of finished products, but a wine with a specific production process.

3. Grape varieties, regions, and famous rosé wines

The grape varieties used for rosé wines are the same as those used for red wine. It has been observed that the pink color of the wine does not come from a particular type of grape, but from how it is processed in the cellars. In the large rosé-producing region of Provence, however, the Tibouren, Carignan, Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Syrah, and Mourvèdre varieties are used most commonly.

Three-quarters of French rosé production is concentrated in the Provence region, particularly in leading appellations such as Bandol and Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence. Certain estates bring particular prestige to this region, such as Château d'Esclans, Château Pibarnon, Domaine d'Ott, and Château Bellet.

Corsica also produces high-quality rosé wines. Although less well known for this color, other major French wine regions offer rosé wines of remarkable quality. This is the case in Bordeaux, the Loire Valley with Anjou, and the Rhône Valley with Tavel.

4. Rosé wine and food pairings

Rosé wine is often a festive wine that can be enjoyed chilled as an aperitif or with cold or hot appetizers. It also pairs well with a single dish or grilled meats. However, some more complex rosés can be paired with fish such as red mullet or more elaborate dishes.