WINEOLOGY Intelligence for the wine consumer.   

by Len Napolitano  

QUESTION:
How is Rosè wine made?

ANSWER:  To make a pink wine you have to start with red grapes. But the juice of red grapes is clear, so a little time spent in contact with grape skins gives it an attractive “pinkish hue” that has come to be known as a Rosé wine. Another term commonly used for these wines is “blush,” applied usually to the palest pink colored wines.
We know that white wine is made by pressing grapes and immediately separating the juice from the skins, and that red wine is created when juice and skins stay together for a period of time, called maceration. Although there are variations on how pink wine is produced, the fundamental difference is to carefully control the time that elapses while red grape skins are in contact with its juice. Pink wine is not made by blending white and red wine.
People of the baby-boom era, like myself, remember popular wines in the 70’s like Mateus and Lancers. These were the first Rosé wines that had broad acceptance in this country. Part of their appeal was the sweetness of the wines. Except for the invention of White Zinfandel in the 80’s, which was, and still is, made in the sweeter style of these earlier pink wines, today most pink wines are drier, making them more elegant and food friendly,
In Southern France, Rosè wine is the regional beverage. Some American-made Rosé wine imitates the French style in the choice of grapes that make the wine. Varietals such as Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsaut, are most often used in Rosè wines but not limited to these. A pink wine can be made from any red grape, with interesting results, too.
Rosé wines are perfect when chilled nicely and served outdoors in warm weather. They can be refreshing and somewhat thirst quenching because of lower alcohol levels, compared with red and white wines. They also work well as a great starter wine for an evening, before serving a full-bodied red wine with dinner, as they are light and pair well with many appetizers.