The Côtes de Provence Rosé, like many wines, suffers from popular belief. It would be a shame to do without such a nectar for some prejudices, so we decided to put the church back in the middle of the village, and break all these received ideas that tarnish the image of Rosé de Provence wine. Rosé wine, just like white wine and red wine, comes from rigorous know-how, which makes him an exceptional wine.
Rosé wine is a mixture of white and red: false
The most common idea about rosé wine concerns its manufacture. Who has not heard that rosé wine came from a mixture of red wine and white wine? It is however totally false, and let's even go a little further, it is prohibited! The assembly of wines is only authorized for champagne, and under very strict conditions.
Rosé wine is therefore not an assembly of white and red wine, and comes from a precise winemaking technique. Coming from red grape varieties, rosé wine benefits from such an oenological profile thanks to the controlled contact of the juice with the pigments and aromas of the grape skin.
The art and know-how of a winemaker can be assessed by his simple ability to produce a quality pink wine, as this vinification is complex. Of the three colors of wine, rosé wine is undeniably the most delicate to approach.
Rosé wine is only drunk in summer: false
In recent years, rosé wine has experienced crazy success as soon as the sunny days are coming. Star of summer aperitifs, you imagine you enjoy your feet in the water, or during a barbecue evening by the pool. Rosé wine is therefore widely considered a summer wine, and that's quite normal, as it is refreshing.
The consumption of rosé wine should not be summed up at a few months of the year. It can be tasted in any season, it is enough for that to choose it well. For cooler or even cold periods of the year, it is recommended to savor a rosy wine rich in tannins and aromas. A well -worked rosé wine will wonderfully accompany a fall dish made up of chestnuts, pumpkin, or even porcini mushrooms, for example.
In summer, we will turn more easily to a lighter rosé wine, with a low alcohol level. In addition to being refreshing, it will perfectly accompany thin and fresh summer dishes, such as salads, crustaceans, or grills.
Remember that it is not advisable to put ice cubes in a glass of rosé wine. Hold in the fridge between 10 and 12 ° C, it will then have an ideal tasting temperature.
Rosé wine is a recent wine: false
Let's make a little plunge in history, to discover the origin of rosé wine. It is not because it has been very successful that for a few years, that rosé has been a recent wine. On the contrary.
Rosé wine is ultimately considered the oldest of wines. It's 3th century BC. J.-C that the grape begins to be cultivated, and in 600 BC that the first vines are located in Provence, by the fleeing Greeks. It was from these vineyards that the first wines were designed.
During Antiquity, maceration did not last long, and the contact of the juice with the skin of the grapes was so short that the wine took a pink tint. The first wines were therefore very clear, not to say "rosés". But it was only around the 14th century that we begin to speak of "rosé wine", and 1680 to see the term inscribed in the French dictionary.
Vinification techniques of wine have greatly improved in the 17th century, allowing to create three very distinct wines: red wine, white wine, and rosé wine. Technically, we can therefore say that rosé wine is older of wines.
Rosé wine does not keep: true and false
For the majority of the Côtes de Provence rosés, consumption within 12 months of the vintage year is highly recommended. This is explained by the fact that rosé, whatever its vinification technique (direct pressing or film maceration), comes from a juice which has been very little in contact with the pigments and aromas of the grape skin. Also, rosé wine is low in tannins, this plant substance which strongly contributes to the good aging of a wine.
However, if the majority of pink wines do not keep themselves long, this is not the case for everyone. Many coasts of Provence rosés are much better after a year or two on duty, or even more.
This is particularly the case with pink groove wines, which include a part of juice from red wine winemaking, and which then have a little more materials. This is all the more true for pink wines from tannic grape varieties, such as bandol, Syrah, or Cabernet Sauvignon, or for pink wines that have long macerated and was raised in wood, barrels or lightning.
The received ideas on rosé wine somewhat tarnish the image of this quality wine. Rather than believing in rumors, make your own opinion by tasting the coast of Provence Rosé of the Château de Berne.
