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To understand rosé wines (sometimes called vin gris, rosado, or rosato), one needs to understand basic wine-making. The color of a wine does not (with a few exceptions—the so-called teinturier grapes) come from the flesh of grapes but from the skin. Red wines are made with significant exposure to the grape skins, which contain substances known as anthocyanins that give the wines their color; in making white wines, there is little or no skin contact in the winemaking process.
Rosé wines can be made by any of four methods: bleeding (usually called saignée), pressing, limited maceration, and run-off. Those are well described on the useful Wine Vibe web site, and we here quote them:
Saignée or bleeding is used to make the best-quality rosés. Juice is obtained by stacking up the wine grapes in a tank and letting the grapes’ weight do the crushing. Since the juice is in contact with the grape skins only for a very short time, the rosé wine obtained through this technique has a very pale color—e.g. Gris de Bourgogne, a rosé wine from the Loire Valley. Rosé wines made through bleeding are rich, fruity and have great freshness.
Pressé or pressing is the technique of pressing the red grapes until the juice has the desired color. Once the desired color has been attained, the winemaker stops pressing. Only the pressed juice is used to make the rosé wine.
Limited maceration is the most commonly used technique for making rosé wines. The grapes or, to be more precise, the skins are left in contact with the juice until the winemaker decides that he or she is happy with its color. The “wine” (or the juice) minus the skins is then transferred to another tank to finish the fermentation process.
Run-off is the process involved when the winemaker removes juice from the tank of fermenting red wine; this juice is used to make the rosé wine. The run-off process results in a darker/more intense red wine (the wine left in the fermentation vat) and, in [Wine Vibe’s Sébastien Gavillet’s] opinion, a so-so rosé wine.
Note that not everyone agrees that the saignée method “is used to make the best-quality rosés”, because the bleeding process essentially involves making rosé as a by-product of red-wine fermentation—sort of as an afterthought. Those of that opinion highly favor rosés made by the press (or “maceration”) method. One commenter remarked that “Saigné wines are heavier and not as refreshing. Since they are come from grapes that are picked later, they often need a lot of manipulation to change the chemistry (lower the alcohol, lower the pH and raise the acid)”; another observed that “The main difference is that skin-contact rosé is made with grapes that have been grown and harvested at optimal levels to make a rosé. Saignée Rosés are made from grapes that have fully ripened and which are destined to make a red wine, thus the whole reason of Saignee is to concentrate red-wines. The resulting rosé lacks acid and brightness and furtéher manipulation is needed to correct and make it drinkable (ie: adding tartaric acid).” But as yet another commenter observed, “At the end of the day, what really matters is whether or not you’d open a second bottle.”
“Rosé” being a category as broad as “red” or “white”, one finds all sorts of different rosé wines. At the risk of painting with too broad a brush, we can roughly divide them—with no bright-line separation—into the categories “crisp and dry” and “rich and fruity” (as does, for one, Wine Searcher). There can be no general rating, in the sense of one of those types being “better” than the other, because it is very much a matter of personal taste. To try to find a rosé that one prefers is just like trying to find the one red wine one prefers: a futile endeavor.
As with any wine, the grape varieties used greatly influence the aromas and flavors of rosé wines, but the wine-making method also has a big influence. Without getting too technical, the wines tend to end up with much less of the depth of red wines, but with more of the fresh-fruit quality of whites. This special character of rosés is what makes them desireable for some uses, especially as accompaniments to foods that do not seem clearly “red-wine” or “white-wine” dishes (such as, for example, a cream sauce lightly flavored with tomato).
For a long time in the modern era, rosés were to a large extent snooted, regarded as a somehow lesser bastard stuff, almost as if it were just a mix of cheap red and white wines (which, sad to say, in a few cases it really was). The advent of garbage wines like “White Zinfandel” (someone’s bright idea of what to do with the then-great excess of Zinfandel grapes) did a lot to poison the well. Nowadays, though, with wine appreciation back in fashion, rosés are being savored for the unique and delightful things that they are in their own right. Still, many wine drinkers do not turn to rosés as often as they might, and that is a shame. To find rosés that fit one’s personal tastes will take a fair bit of sampling of specimens—so get started! (But do understand that “blush wines” are something to be avoided.)
(Note that almost without exception rosé wines deteriorate quite rapidly once bottled, and so should be drunk as soon after bottling as possible. Beware older vintages of rosé wines, though Spanish Rioja rosados are one of those exceptions.)
We will not try here to re-invent the wheel. Wikipedia has a very extensive categorization of the many national and regional styles of rosés, and we recommend it to you.
Factoid: Besides the common maceration technique for producing rosés, there is another way that involves the immediate pressing of red-skinned grapes without any maceration time; that yields wines called vin gris. (Despite that name, the resulting juice is not actually grey, but rather a very pale pink usually much lighter than traditionally made rosés.)
“Often a salmon pink hue, this style hails from the hills of Provence in southern France. The wines tend to combine soft strawberry fruit with minerality and herbaceousness. Characteristics: dry, herbal, strawberry, cherry, grapefruit. Key Wines: Provence rosé, new-world rosés.”
“Ranging from vivid pink to deep raspberry, these fruit-driven wines are often typical of rosé made in warmer climates, like Spain and Australia. Characteristics: ripe berries, vanilla, cherry, bonbons, spice. Key Wines: Rioja rosado, Bordeaux Clairet, Tavel, new-world rosés.”
“The primary flavors of rosé wine are red fruit, flowers, citrus, and melon, with a pleasant crunchy green flavor on the finish similar to celery or rhubarb. Of course, depending on the type of grape the rosé wine is made with will greatly vary the flavor. For example, a deeply-colored Italian Aglianico rosé—rosé is called “Rosato” in Italy—will offer up cherry and orange zest flavors, and a pale-colored Grenache rosé from Provence in France will taste of honeydew melon, lemon and celery.”
“A rosé’s color does not directly correlate with its taste. ‘Darker rosés may have more body than paler rosés, which could be appealing to those who prefer red wines’, says Doug Bell, the Atlanta-based global beverage buyer for Whole Foods Market. ‘But often paler blush wines have surprisingly complex aromas and flavors that can linger long after you’ve taken a sip.’ In both styles, sweetness varies. Some bottles are bone-dry, while others have a slightly sweet finish.”
“Rosé resembles the flavor profile of a light red wine, but with brighter and crisper tasting notes. Frequent descriptors of rosé wine flavor include: Red fruits (strawberry, cherry, raspberry); Flowers; Citrus; Melon; [and] Celery.”
“The wine region known for creating the most consistent rosés, no matter the price point, is Provence. The Provence wine region of France creates rosé more than any other style of wine, and they’ve become incredibly good at it. Due to the size of the region, quality rosés exist at all price points, so if you’re looking for a rosé and happen to be in a store or at a restaurant that you don’t trust, a safe bet is asking for a bottle from Provence.”
“The flavors of rosé wines tend to be more subtle versions of their red wine varietal counterparts. The fruit expectations lean towards strawberry, cherry, and raspberry with some citrus and watermelon presenting on a regular basis. rosé wine can run the gamut from ultra-dry to fairly fruity depending on the region and producer. Prefer dry and food-friendly? Then scout for rosés from southern France, Spain or Italy.”
“Typically, [Provence] rosés are made intentionally, picked for citrus and tart red fruit flavors with limited skin contact for lighter hues and delicateness. They’re not big, brash, fruity wines, but meant to be crisp and versatile…Tavel is the only appellation in France that specializes in dry rosé…Due to longer skin contact, Tavel wines achieve greater color and depth of red fruit flavor. This lends more tannin, structure and ageworthiness from top producers…[T]he best [Loire Valley (Chinon, Touraine and Anjou)] rosés weave delicate herbal notes from the Cab Franc with juicy red fruit flavors…Unusual in the world of rosé are aging classifications…But in the case of Rioja, rosado follows the classic aging rules in oak barrels: joven (no aging requirement), crianza (aged for 12 months, with six months in barrel); and reserva (two years with six months in barrel)…The rosé version [of Txakoli] is made in a pale shade of pink, wines are mineral and tart, based largely on red grape Hondarrabi Beltza.”
“Ten years ago wine writers, myself included, were begging people to try the dry, refreshing rosés of France, Spain and elsewhere, to stop painting all pink wine with the white Zinfandel brush. Sommeliers offered cheap glass pours and unabashed promotions, and even then couldn’t give the stuff away. And now? They can’t keep it in stock…The Pink Tsunami has set off unprecedented demand for rosés from traditional locales such as Provence, Rioja, Tavel, the Côtes du Rhône and so on. There are more pink wines from classic places than ever before, and generally the quality has suffered, despite marketing that seems almost desperate…But some lesser-known regions are taking advantage of demand, in places with almost no rosé tradition at all—and some of them are astonishingly good. You owe it to yourself to check out the nervy Agiorgitikos from Greece, Blauburgunders from Germany, Blaufränkisches from Austria and Cab Francs from the Loire. They’ll surprise you…Rosés by definition should be crisp, dry and quite literally mouthwatering. In the mouth they should be nervous, a little jittery from acidity, a little pithy from tannin (from the skin contact that gives the wine its color).”
“Smarty pants wine people will tell you that good rosé wine is always dry. If you are inclined to agree, start with pinot noir. Other dry rosés include sangiovese, syrah, and the occasional cabernet sauvignon. Some merlot rosé wines can be dry, but if it’s French, it could also be semi-sweet…Looking to get fancy [with sweet rosé]? Find garnacha rosado.”
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Some Descriptions of Rosé Wines Wines
“Often a salmon pink hue, this style hails from the hills of Provence in southern France. The wines tend to combine soft strawberry fruit with minerality and herbaceousness. Characteristics: dry, herbal, strawberry, cherry, grapefruit. Key Wines: Provence rosé, new-world rosés.”
“Ranging from vivid pink to deep raspberry, these fruit-driven wines are often typical of rosé made in warmer climates, like Spain and Australia. Characteristics: ripe berries, vanilla, cherry, bonbons, spice. Key Wines: Rioja rosado, Bordeaux Clairet, Tavel, new-world rosés.”
“The primary flavors of rosé wine are red fruit, flowers, citrus, and melon, with a pleasant crunchy green flavor on the finish similar to celery or rhubarb. Of course, depending on the type of grape the rosé wine is made with will greatly vary the flavor. For example, a deeply-colored Italian Aglianico rosé—rosé is called “Rosato” in Italy—will offer up cherry and orange zest flavors, and a pale-colored Grenache rosé from Provence in France will taste of honeydew melon, lemon and celery.”
“A rosé’s color does not directly correlate with its taste. ‘Darker rosés may have more body than paler rosés, which could be appealing to those who prefer red wines’, says Doug Bell, the Atlanta-based global beverage buyer for Whole Foods Market. ‘But often paler blush wines have surprisingly complex aromas and flavors that can linger long after you’ve taken a sip.’ In both styles, sweetness varies. Some bottles are bone-dry, while others have a slightly sweet finish.”
“Rosé resembles the flavor profile of a light red wine, but with brighter and crisper tasting notes. Frequent descriptors of rosé wine flavor include: Red fruits (strawberry, cherry, raspberry); Flowers; Citrus; Melon; [and] Celery.”
“The wine region known for creating the most consistent rosés, no matter the price point, is Provence. The Provence wine region of France creates rosé more than any other style of wine, and they’ve become incredibly good at it. Due to the size of the region, quality rosés exist at all price points, so if you’re looking for a rosé and happen to be in a store or at a restaurant that you don’t trust, a safe bet is asking for a bottle from Provence.”
“The flavors of rosé wines tend to be more subtle versions of their red wine varietal counterparts. The fruit expectations lean towards strawberry, cherry, and raspberry with some citrus and watermelon presenting on a regular basis. rosé wine can run the gamut from ultra-dry to fairly fruity depending on the region and producer. Prefer dry and food-friendly? Then scout for rosés from southern France, Spain or Italy.”
“Typically, [Provence] rosés are made intentionally, picked for citrus and tart red fruit flavors with limited skin contact for lighter hues and delicateness. They’re not big, brash, fruity wines, but meant to be crisp and versatile…Tavel is the only appellation in France that specializes in dry rosé…Due to longer skin contact, Tavel wines achieve greater color and depth of red fruit flavor. This lends more tannin, structure and ageworthiness from top producers…[T]he best [Loire Valley (Chinon, Touraine and Anjou)] rosés weave delicate herbal notes from the Cab Franc with juicy red fruit flavors…Unusual in the world of rosé are aging classifications…But in the case of Rioja, rosado follows the classic aging rules in oak barrels: joven (no aging requirement), crianza (aged for 12 months, with six months in barrel); and reserva (two years with six months in barrel)…The rosé version [of Txakoli] is made in a pale shade of pink, wines are mineral and tart, based largely on red grape Hondarrabi Beltza.”
“Ten years ago wine writers, myself included, were begging people to try the dry, refreshing rosés of France, Spain and elsewhere, to stop painting all pink wine with the white Zinfandel brush. Sommeliers offered cheap glass pours and unabashed promotions, and even then couldn’t give the stuff away. And now? They can’t keep it in stock…The Pink Tsunami has set off unprecedented demand for rosés from traditional locales such as Provence, Rioja, Tavel, the Côtes du Rhône and so on. There are more pink wines from classic places than ever before, and generally the quality has suffered, despite marketing that seems almost desperate…But some lesser-known regions are taking advantage of demand, in places with almost no rosé tradition at all—and some of them are astonishingly good. You owe it to yourself to check out the nervy Agiorgitikos from Greece, Blauburgunders from Germany, Blaufränkisches from Austria and Cab Francs from the Loire. They’ll surprise you…Rosés by definition should be crisp, dry and quite literally mouthwatering. In the mouth they should be nervous, a little jittery from acidity, a little pithy from tannin (from the skin contact that gives the wine its color).”
“Smarty pants wine people will tell you that good rosé wine is always dry. If you are inclined to agree, start with pinot noir. Other dry rosés include sangiovese, syrah, and the occasional cabernet sauvignon. Some merlot rosé wines can be dry, but if it’s French, it could also be semi-sweet…Looking to get fancy [with sweet rosé]? Find garnacha rosado.”