Rosé Wines

Maybe you know the hashtag #RoseAllDay?

As the unofficial last weekend of summer has just passed, many consider the rose wines to be as forbidden as wearing white pants after Labour Day. But I propose rose wines are appropriate, and great to drink all year around. #RoseAllYear?

Rose is a wine typically made from red grapes.

The most common method is to macerate the red grapes for less time then you would for making a red wine. Less time on the skins confers less colour in the wine.

Another method is called saignée, which translates to bleeding. This method involves removing some juice from a vat that will be used to make red wine and is considered a byproduct of red winemaking because its primary function is to increase the concentration of red wines. Saignée is a unique style of rosé wine because it is so often bolder and darker in colour than any other rosé wine. So, if you’re not a fan of traditional rosé, you might like saignée because:

It’s bigger, darker, and would often provide more texture, body and complexity to the finished wine.

There are some lower quality roses made by blending red and white wines, but these are generally entry level wines and that are full of sugar to counterbalance the high acids and cover up inferior quality wines.

Speaking of quality, though rose wines are fun to drink typically they are not fully complex, meaning most of the aromas and taste profiles tend to be in the primary fruit flavours with relatively fewer flavours than higher quality reds or whites. Which is precisely what a rose should be. A fun and simple sipping wine to be enjoyed any time of year.

Some roses are made as a response to consumer demand and are often an after thought and not considered during the fermentation. These tend to be on the sweeter side, come wrapped in appealing labels, and leave you with a terrible hangover.

The best roses come from the south for France in Provence on the shores of the Mediterranean. They are typically made from some blend of syrah, grenache, and mourvèdre. But you can find rose wines almost anywhere in the world from many other grape varieties. Including right here in our own back yard!

As the calendar changes and autumn looms, remember to stock up on a few bottles of rose from the local wineries before they are gone for the year.