What is Rosé Wine?

Rosé wine got its name from the French word for “pinkish” (rosé). It has some of the colour typical of red wines, but only enough to give it its pink colour which can range from pale orange to near purple, depending on the grape selection and the wine making technique used.

There are a few ways to produce rose wines. The most common being Skin Contact, Saingée or Blending.

Skin Contact is when red grapes are crushed and the skins are kept in contact with the juice for a short time, usually only a couple of days. The longer the red grape skin stays in contact with the juice, the more intense the colour of the wine will be. The grapes are then pressed and all skins are removed as the wine enters the fermentation stage.

Saingée is when rosé wine is produced as a by-product of the red wine fermentation process. Some of the juice is removed from the vat. This increases the concentration of the red wine therefore giving it a more intense colour and flavour. The juice that is removed can then be fermented separately to produce rosé wine.

Blending is the simple mixing of red and white wine to create the pinkish colour. This method is uncommon and most wine growing regions avoid it preferring the saingée method.