If there's anyone who doesn't complain about global warming, it's him! Every year, it reappears with the first rays of sunshine when the desire to cool off becomes urgent.But doesn't the rosé deserve better than this unserious but thirst-quenching wine label? (spoilers: yes!).
Overview of received ideas and methods of making rosé.
Preconceived ideas about rosé
1) Rosé, a mixture of red wine and white wine: NO! This is strictly prohibited everywhere in France with the exception of Champagne where a small percentage of AOC red wine can complement white wines with a view to producing rosé Champagne.
2) Pale rosé is lighter than dark rosé: FALSE! The color of rosé does not provide any information on its aromas, its potency or sugar content. It depends primarily on the grape varieties used and is mainly an appearance code depending on the duration of contact between the juice of the grapes and their skins. The winegrowers can control it even if its precision and regularity require good technical mastery.
3) Rosé, a wine with no history: FALSE! It's quite ironic because rosé is actually one of the very first wines in history! Indeed, during Antiquity, the wines produced were probably weakly colored and could be similar to what we now call "rosé". It was not until the 12th century that the majority of vineyards (with the exception of Provence) turned to the production of so-called "red" wines.
4) Rosé, you should only drink the latest vintage: FALSE! While the majority of rosés produced these days are actually not intended for aging, this in no way prevents them from being able to keep them for at least 2 to 3 years (in good conditions) and from being able to enjoy to their full potential.not to mention certain vinous rosés with character capable of aging for 5 to 10 years or more, such as that of Château Simone! After these few years of evolution, your wines will move towards slightly less varietal aromas (fresh fruit) and the spices will generally stand out more in the general aromatic.
5) Rosé, an aperitif wine that is drunk during the summer: STILL FALSE! As seen, some rosés are capable of keep for a long time and are perfect gastronomic companions! Moreover, more and more people come to fill the ranks of a clientele that loves rosé throughout the year.
Now that you have (perhaps) overcome some of your prejudices, let's take a look at the different methods of elaboration.
The 3 methods of making rosé
-The maceration rosé: It is made from black grapes (like all rosés) crushed (the berries are burst) so that the juices come into contact with the skin grapes. It is indeed the latter which contain the coloring pigments (anthocyanins) which will give its color to the wine. This maceration (juice-skin contact) can last from a few hours up to 3 days in the most advanced cases. Subsequently, the grapes are pressed in order to keep only the juices which will leave for fermentation and then for ageing. This method produces wines with above average color and helps give the wine more fruity aromas as well as light tannins, generally allowing them to age longer.
-Saignée rosé : The method is similar to maceration rosé with the only difference that the tank used to make rosé will be used to produce a wine red. The juices are also allowed to macerate for the desired time with the skins and pips before "bleeding" the vat to recover only the juice necessary for the development of the rosé.
-The press rosé: This is THE most common method. It represents the huge part of the volumes produced each year in France and around the world. It consists, after the harvest, in pressing the grapes directly without leaving them in contact with their skins. The shades obtained will thus be very pale and will inspire freshness and delicacy in consumers.
The rosé market
While rosé was neglected for a long time due to lack of consideration and its relatively recent historical revival, times have changed! It is now produced all over the world: from France (Loire, Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon,
Winegrowers have been able to ride the trend and make France the leading producer, consumer and exporter country in the world with Provence at the head of the line (and its main AOC Côtes-de -Provence), representing 40% of French AOC rosés and producing within its region nearly 90% of rosé wines (for more than 1/3 exported with the United States as the 1st customer).
Nevertheless, while this market explosion has allowed many estates to grow qualitatively and improve their understanding of terroir, many others have moved into mass production in order to meet demand. Let's hope that consumers will be able to orient themselves towards the right properties.
So, forget the grapefruit rosés and discover rosé wines, whether thirsty or full of character. Do not hesitate to call on La Cave Éclairée to guide you in your choices!
