How To Find Your Favorite Rosé | Unfiltered Vines
How do you find a delicious glass that hits all the right tastebuds when most rosés look the same? Join us on the journey to find out!
Most red grapes can be used to make rosé; the type of grape (or the “varietal”) depends on the region, and each grape will add a little of its own personality to the mix! In Provence, France, where much of the rosé found here in the U.S. comes from. Rosé is made in one of four ways -- which matters, because each of these methods affects what you’re likely to taste:
1. Limited Skin Maceration (say that three times fast!)
This is the most popular way of making rosé, so most of what you’ll see in your local wine store will be made in this way. The skins are left to soak in the juice mixture for a small amount of time, somewhere between six to 48 hours. The longer the skins soak in this juice and skin mixture, the darker and more richly flavored the rosé.
2. Direct Pressing.
In this method, the grapes are slowly juiced or “pressed” right away while still on the bunch. This method produces rosés that are lightest in color, and have a low acidity with hints of citrus, strawberry or rhubarb.
3. Saignée Method
The saignée / “bleeding” method is one of those rare ways of making wine, and is used by few wineries. Saignée method rosés are likely to be richer and medium-bodied, for those who like their wine with a more substantial mouthfeel.
4. Blending
Red wine + white wine = rosé (right?). Blended rosés are unique in their taste as the winemaker gets to play with combinations that achieve just the right flavor profile -- everything from crisp, bright melon to lush, ripening cherry.
Remember, "dry" doesn’t mean “not fruity”, it means no sugary/syrupy ending.
Dry style rosés tend to contain these grapes:
-Grenache
-Sangiovese
-Syrah
-Mourvèdre
-Carignan
-Cinsault
-Pinot Noir
Sweeter rosé styles include:
-White Zinfandel
-White Merlot
-Pink Moscato
Whether you like your rosé dry or sweet, with or without bubbles, in a blend or made from a direct press, there is SO much rosé out there to try. We’d love to know your favorites in the comments below!
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*Enjoy wine responsibly!
Wines Featured Here:
1) Los Dos Rosé - made by the Bodegas Aragonesas winemaking collective in the northeast of Spain. This particular rosé is made mostly from Grenache or Garnacha grapes as they’re called in Spain, mixed with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
2) The Palm - a sister wine of the popular rosé Whispering Angel, made by the same Provence, France winery, Château d'Esclans. It’s a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah grapes.
