Be prepared for rosé weather

Be prepared for rosé weather

First and foremost, however, it can be advantageous to break down what rosé is since a common confusion is whether rosé is more reminiscent to red- or white wine. Taste- and storage wise, it is more like white wine since it is consumed cold but technically speaking it comes closer to red wine, since rosé is always made on blue grapes AKA red wine grapes. The grapes are pressed whereafter the grape skins quickly are removed from the remaining juices before the maceration to ensure that the wine only takes minimal colour from the skins. Correspondingly, with red wine the skins lie longer with the juices, which contributes to the darker and more reddish colour. With red wine the skins can also lie for a shorter or longer period, which is co-deciding when determining the final colour of the wine. 

Another good memorization rule is that rosé is the opposite of orange wine. Orange wine is made of green grapes AKA white wine grapes, which rest for a prolonged period during the maceration and thereby results in white wines with a darker colour, i.e., orange wine. 

Since rosé is made on red wine grapes, it is theoretically possible to find rosé in all red wine countries but there are of course countries like especially France but also Italy and Spain where rosé is more common than for instance in the US, Australia or South Africa. 

Like red and white wine, rosé is of course influenced by the country/region/terroir from where it comes and correspondingly it takes flavour after the grape type. In other words, a rosé made purely on Pinot noir will taste significantly different than a rosé made on Tempranillo or Zinfandel. In theory, all red wine grapes can be used to make rosé but there are definitely some that are more common than others in the world of rosé. The most common are Grenache/Garnacha, Pinot noir, Sangiovese, Mouvédre/Monastrell, Tempranillo, Shiraz/Syrah, Montepulciano, Zweigelt and Cinsault but should you find one made on another grape this shouldn’t cause for any alarm bells to start ringing. And just as with red and white wines, a rosé can easily consist of a blend of two or more grapes. 

A popular topic when talking about rosé, is the colour. Many people pledge to the light, pink and salmon coloured style whereas a darker, more reddish colour can appear deterring because it may suggest something sickly sweet. It is also correct that most light-coloured rosé is very fresh and luscious, but a dark rosé isn’t necessarily sweet. The dark colour can also be an indication that the rosé is more powerful, potent and complex and therefore good for food pairing, which isn’t a bad thing. 

When it comes to combining rosé with food, the combinations are actually more than one might think. Because rosé is high on acidity and fruitiness, it is an excellent companion to dishes with strong seasoning or a lot of garlic. This could be a spicy wok or the classic French fish soup, bouillabaisse. The more elegant rosés are also great to sushi, tapas consisting of salty and spicy cold cuts or light fish on the grill. If in possession of a sweet rosé, it is a perfect opportunity to find some fresh strawberries (though avoid the heavy cream on top!). 

Finally, let’s just emphasize that rosé is lovely by itself if the sun is shining… and the sun is always shining somewhere in the world! 

Everything for your rosé

Crazy about wine

This post is written by our very own wine expert Loui, who has his daily routine in our showroom in Denmark.

Loui will continuously share his knowledge of the marvelous world of wine, and we dare to promise that there will be something for both the beginner and the seasoned connoisseur.

If you are thirsty for more wine cravingse, you can also dive into our large archive of previous articles.