Rosé wine on the up!

Probably one the most significant trends within the wonderful world of wine in the last couple of years has to be the increase in recognition, popularity and demand for rosé wines.

There are several reasons for this. Rosé wines can vary in colour, from pale to vibrant, ranging from orange through pink or sometimes even purple. These colour variations can be very eye catching and striking. This could be one of the reasons why rosé wines are more popular today.

Rosé wines can also be very refreshing due to their fruity taste and are usually served chilled. This makes them easy to drink and a great introductory wine for people new to drinking wine or has only been drinking wine for a short period of time. This used to mean that they were described as a more summer wine but now people are drinking them all year round and used for many different occasions. The rosé wine is winning over fans from both the red and white wine sections.

Another factor in the rising popularity of these rosé wines is that they can be quite flexible when pairing up with food. Rosé wines have great versatility and can match up with variety of foods and compliment many different meals. This makes it a great wine to serve at the dinner table if each diner has a different dish or if several courses are being served. The reduced tannin levels compared to their red wine counterparts make rosé wines an ideal match for dressed salads, seafood dishes, grilled meats and can even be a great wine used at barbeques.

Many of the well known wine makers have recognised this increasing popularity in rosé wines and are looking to find a place for themselves in an increasingly lucrative marketplace. This can only be a good thing as it means that the quality of rosé wines will keep improving when some of the best wine makers in the world are using their unique and well established wine making techniques to produce these wines. Gone are the days when a simple mixture of red and white wine was used to make rosés or blush wines.

Rosé wines are readily available today. You can find good value wines in your local supermarket or alcohol retailer from wine makers such as Gallo Family Vineyards or Blossom Hill. If you are looking for something a bit more special, there are several rosé wine specialists shops out there or online. If you are really looking to splash out, you could spend around £60 on a bottle of Chateau D’Esclans, Garrus from renowned winemaker Sacha Lachine which is regarded as one of the most expensive and best rosé wines on the planet. This wine is available at Rose-wine.com or on Wine-searcher.com.

A break from the norm!

Just because the wine is a pretty pink colour, it doesn’t mean to say that rose wines aren’t serious wines.

The standard of rose wines being produced is very high. Not so long ago, rose wines were perceived as a “ladies fun wine” or “summer wine” but how times have changed.

This is down to consumers being more adventurous and some of the biggest and best winemakers in the world have taken an interest, using the techniques & knowledge gained from years of making red and white wines and using them to make quality rose wines.

These wines being produced are also very versatile when it comes to the dinner table, being able to pair well with a wider variety of food. This dedication, versatility and value for money are helping to transform the reputation of the rose wine.

There are plenty of fantastic rose wines being produced and you will find a great selection on the shelves of your favourite wine shop or supermarket. So be brave and swap your normal red or white for a bottle of rose.

Chateau Leoube Rosé

Domaine de Léoube is situated in a beautiful coastal location within the Cotes de Provence appellation in France, near the St. Tropez. Here, they grow the fruit used to make their wines and olive oils. The 560 hectares site has 65 hectares dedicated just for its vineyards and another 20 for an olive grove.

The conditions at Domaine de Léoube, with the proximity of the sea, the sea breeze and cool nights make it an ideal climate for growing grapes.  These grapes are used to make all Chateau Léoube wines including “Chateau Léoube – Cotes de Provence rose”.

Only once vines are aged 22 years, are they used to make this rosé wine. A mixture of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvédre grapes are harvested manually to make sure that only the highest quality grapes make it to the wine. These grapes are then transported to the winery where they are pressed directly, making sure the grapes are as fresh as possible. The juice extraction is slow and delicate to take care that the grapes aren’t bruised or discoloured and is then put in stainless steel tanks rather than wooden casts to ferment. This helps to make the resulting wine fresher and gives it its pale amber glow.

All the care taken during the production results in a refreshing bright rosé wine that is clear and delicate in colour. The initial taste is dry then mellows to dry to medium, with a blend of fruit and light spice flavours coming through. A great wine for every occasion, as an aperitif or accompanying lighter foods such as salads or grilled fish.

This wine is available at Rose-wine.com or on Wine-searcher.com.

Staying in is the new going out?

According to a report in the Scotsman, young Scots are more in favour of having a drink in the house rather than going out to a pub or club.

More and more 18 to 24 year olds are now celebrating special occasions without the need to go going out they attempt to save money in the current economic climate.

This is bad news for venues in Scotland as this age group is traditionally more likely to drink out than any other age group.

Market research by Mintel shows that while across all ages, the average spend on a bottle of wine from a supermarket was around six pounds, the average spend for under 25’s was considerably higher, well over eight pounds.

White wine is people’s drink of choice in the home, having been drunk by 44 per cent of people in the past six months.

Red wine comes a close second on 40 per cent, while rosé wine contributes to 2 per cent. While volume sales of rosé wine rose by 7 per cent and white by 2 per cent, sales of red wine have declined by 3 per cent.

He Knows Wine: Rose' Wine Episode

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.