The Rose wine is not a blending of red and white wine. It is made from red grape-varieties, but nowadays, many winemakers mix a certain amount of white grapes with the red. Sometimes roses are made from more than one variety (although single varietal roses are quite popular, especially in California). This wine has some of the colour typical of a red wine, but only enough to turn it pink. The pink colour can range from a pale orange to a vivid near-purple, depending on the grapes and winemaking techniques used by producer.
Current rose wines are made from grapes like Syrah, Grenache and Carignan in hotter regions such as Provence, the Languedoc and Australia. In France, rose has now exceeded white wines in sales. Some of the best sorts to produce rose wines are the Grenache, Pinot noir, Cabernet franc, Gamay and several Italian grape varieties. They should be served chilled and drunk young. Several excellent roses are now being made in California, above all from the Grenache grape. The best French come from Tavel, Marsannay, the Loire Valley, Beaujolais, northern Alsace and Provence.
Rose’s are wines which are not truly red, but have enough of a reddish tinge to make them assuredly not white. European Rose wines are generally dry, while Rose wines from the United States are generally sweet. Sometimes, this distinction is highlighted by referring to sweet Rose wines as Blush. Rose wines may be produced in a number of different ways, depending on the desired results. Most Rose wines are the result of crushing the red grapes used rather early on, so that they are not able to impart their color – or much tannin – to the final wine. These wines are in most respects white in character and flavor, with only the tinge of red and some subtle taste differences belying the difference.
Rose wines are generally sneered at by wine connoisseurs, but many people find their crispness and lightness very refreshing in hot weather, leading to them being often referred to as summer wines. Styles vary widely, but in general, a Rose wine is much simpler than a true heavyweight white or red wine – even if made from the same grapes.
So, why roses are tremendously popular in America? The answer is simple: Because rose goes with everything and because of its ability to communicate with all kinds of foods.
Some Recommended Roses:
2005 White Zinfandel, California – 4.20$
Montaud Rose Cotes De Provence 2007 – 6.98$
Saint Leocadie Rose 2007 – 10.99$
Vinos Sin Ley Gordo Rose 2007 – 11.98$
S.c.pannell Grenache Rose 2006 – 13.98$
2003 Canto Perdrx Tavel Rose – 15.00$
1999 Delas Tavel Rose – 17.49$
2000 Bouchaine Pinot Noir Rose – 17.49$
1998 Chateau d’Aqueria Tavel Rose – 19.99$
Nicolas Feuillatte Rose – 33.99$
Legras Brut Rose Champagne – 64.99$
Clicquot Rose Reserve 1985 – 88.99$
Le Macchiole Paleo Rosso 2004 – 89.99$
Clicquot La Grande Dame Rose 1998 – 262.99$
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