Thinking (and Drinking) Pink

Spring has sprung in most parts of the country and that means that it’s officially rosé season! Many people may enjoy rosé year round, but my cravings really hit when the weather warms.

Rosé has come such a long way over the past ten or so years. Some of you will remember the days (much longer ago than ten years!) of drinking Mateus and Lancer’s from Portugal and perhaps Tavel rosés from France. Then came the time when rosé was associated with White Zinfandel and no one wanted to get caught holding a glass of pink wine!

Today, lovely rosés come from virtually every wine producing region in the world and can be made from a wide variety of red grapes including Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cabernet Franc, Cinsault, and many others.

Rosé wine is made by allowing the grape skins to remain in contact with the juice for one to three days, depending on the desired color and other characteristics as determined by the wine maker. Color may range from the palest melon color to deep rose. Rosé does not require barrel aging and is intended to be released early and consumed while young and fresh.

There is another production method called “saignée” that involves draining off a portion of red wine during fermentation to increase the tannins and intensity of color in the eventual red wine. What is “bled off” becomes rosé as a by-product of fermentation rather than an “intentional” rosé, in other words, a rosé that the wine maker specifically set out to make.

Rosé wines should be crisp, dry and mouthwatering. In the mouth, you should perceive bright acidity and you may feel light tannins mid-palate from the contact with the skins. Well-made rosés are typically lower in alcohol, preferably less than 13.5%, although that can vary.

May your spring and summer be filled with many glasses of glorious rosé!