Rosé wine turns out to be very mysterious. From his particular winemaking technique to the grape varieties used, certain doubts and a lot of preconceived ideas float around him. Let us then focus more specifically on the grapes used to make rosé wine .
The different rosé wines around the world
Wine lovers generally distinguish two types of rosé wines: those from the Old Continent and those from the New World. With rosé wines produced in France, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Austria, and Croatia, tradition is at the center of winemaking and tasting. There we find the work of the winemaker, focused on the terroir and ancestral techniques .
As for rosé wines from the United States, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand and even South Africa, we benefit from greater freedom of expression for winegrowers, who experiment with winemaking which can be found at the tasting.
Making rosé wine: 2 winemaking techniques
Many still think that rosé wine is the result of a mixture of red and white wine. However, not only is this far from being the case, but it is also prohibited. Only sparkling rosé wines from the Champagne region are authorized to make this blend. Making rosé wine is much more complex, and can be done in two different ways.
- Pressing rosé : here the grapes are slowly crushed with their skin, pulp and juice, to give the grape juice enough time to absorb the aromas and coloring pigments contained in the grape skin. The whole thing is then filtered to preserve only the juice with its pretty pink color;
- Saignée rosé : this type of rosé is taken directly from a vat of maceration grapes intended for the production of red wines. Being taken during the alcoholic fermentation process, the rosé de saignée is clear and low in tannin.
Rosé wine: the main grape varieties
A grape variety is a variety of grape. We then distinguish between white grape varieties, with white grapes, and black or red grape varieties, with black grapes or red grapes. To obtain rosés with a pretty pink color , winegrowers then use red grapes, reserving white grape varieties for white wines.
There are then 4 main black grape varieties for making rosé wines , which are also used to make red wines:
- Grenache noir : with its fruity, rich and powerful style, Grenache produces aromas of red fruits and spices;
- Cinsault : mainly dominated by floral notes, wines made from cinsault are also powerful and aromatic;
- Pinot noir : highly appreciated for its elegance and delicacy, pinot noir reveals flavors of strawberry, cherry and lemon;
- Sangiovese : mainly used to make Corsican rosé, sangiovese produces pale wines with aromas of spices, red fruits and citrus fruits.
The winemaker is then free to produce his rosé wines with a single grape variety (single grape variety) or to blend several grape varieties .
What grapes are Château de Berne rosé wines made with?
The AOP Côtes de Provence and IGP Méditerranée rosé wines from the Berne estate draw all their richness and deliciousness from 7 grape varieties from the sun-drenched Provençal vines .
- Grenache noir: this grape variety, widely used throughout France, flourishes particularly in Provence, and offers rosé wines which go wonderfully with grilled vegetables, seafood and summer salads;
- Cinsault : rosé made from cinsault is generally very fresh, and is particularly suitable as an aperitif, whether with chips and cold meats, or with more refined appetizers, based on smoked salmon;
- Syrah : the notes of black fruits and red fruits of this powerful grape variety are perfect to accompany meat with character, such as a leg of lamb or roast poultry;
- Merlot : this grape variety produces very fruity and fresh wines which pair pleasantly with grilled meats or Mediterranean cuisine (couscous, paella, etc.);
- Carignan : with their aromas of black and red fruits, rosé wines made from Carignan go wonderfully with fish dishes, raw vegetables, ratatouille and red meats;
- Cabernet-Sauvignon : the characteristic green pepper aromas of Cabernet-Sauvignon give rosé wines a beautiful freshness that goes perfectly with Southern cuisine;
- Vermentino : this grape variety is one of the grape varieties that gives pale and elegant wines, as well as a beautiful freshness that is very pleasant with a spicy Provençal dish or exotic cuisine.
You now know all the secrets of rosé wines and the red grapes used to make them. It's now up to you to discover, through tastings, the differences between each grape variety , but also between pressing rosés and saignée rosés.
