Rosé wine exists in several regions of France. Its variations come from vinification, maceration or pressing, selected grape variety, and also from the climate. Sometimes some names even choose different processes for manufacturing. The Château de Berne offers an overview of rosé wines regions in France, the world's leading producer of rosé in the world.
The rosé of the regions in the northeast of France
The Northeast region concerns, here, Alsace, Beaujolais, Burgundy, Champagne, Jura, Lorraine and Savoy. The grape varieties, in these terroirs, tends to favor white grape varieties despite a strong presence of black grape varieties. In these regions, pink wines only bring together 5% of the production of black grape varieties.
Pinot Noir is the best known of these regions. It is a grape variety loving fresh regions and which offers very delicate pink wines, with sweet aromas and which does not lack power.
The Gamay is such a reputed grape in the northeast, and makes it possible to obtain more elegant, light and fruity pink wines.
The rosé of the regions in the northwest of France
The northwest region includes the Nantes terroir, Touraine and Val-de-Loire, where the climate is temperate. In these regions, wines flourish all year round; It is the second in number of appellation wines, including the famous Cabernet-D’anjou, sweet or soft rosé. The Cabernet Franc and the Cabernet-Sauvignon are also present in these regions. Touraine's pink wines are rather from grape varieties like Malbec for the Rosé d'Anjou, Gamay, Pineau d'Aunis for Loire rosé, as well as Grolleau. Gamay has a very fruity, pleasant and balanced taste; The Pineau d'Aunis gives an aroma of red fruits; The Rosé Grolleau, renowned in Nantes, offers aromas of white flowers and spices. More in the center and in the Val-de-Loire, we find Reuilly, a dry rosé wine as well as Menetou and Sancerre.
The rosé of the regions in the southwest of France
The southwest region includes several rosé wines on the side. The most famous vineyards, such as Bordeaux, Cahors or Madiran, produce pink appellation wines. Gironde rosé wines come from an assembly: red wine grape varieties are used, especially those in Lot-et-Garonne and Charentes. Here we like colorful wines, less pale as is the case in the south-east of France and in Provence. In Tarn-et-Garonne, the rosés are also numerous. The most famous grape varieties in the South West are Merlot (Gironde), Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec. Merlot has mild aromas of red fruits; The Cabernet-Sauvignon brings aromas of black fruit including blackcurrant and is more structured; The Cabernet Franc is a cooler rosé, with light touches of raspberry and violet; Malbec offers color rosés and is often designed in IGP.
Regions rosé south-east of France
The Southeast region includes Provence, a region of excellence for rosé. Provence produces more than 80% of pink wines throughout its wine production. It is the first region that produces AOC rosés (40% of production in France / 5% of production worldwide). Tavel and Lirac are the best known wines. The other rosé wines in the region are called Ventoux, Luberon or Costières de Nîmes in Languedoc. 40% of Roussillon's pink wines are AOC. In Corsica, pink wines have a large part, slightly more AOC than IGP. There are rosé wines fairly colorful in the Rhône valley and sometimes full -bodied. They are larger and pale in Provence. The most recognized grape varieties in the Southeast are Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan.
The first contains some notes of red fruits and spices; The Cinsault gives more lightness and finer aromas; Syrah offers fruity and spicy aromas; Mourvèdre brings more structure and aromas of ripe fruit; While the Carignan is a small structured grape that has its place in pink wines.
Each vineyard has its own grape varieties, its own wines; Some are gathering but all have their specificity, their aroma, their own flavor. And if you are interested in a rosé wine from the regions in the south east of France, it's this way.
