Question: “I love drinking Rosé during the hot, summer months. Can you tell me how it is made and how to find a good quality Rosé?”
Winemaker Colin Murphy of Koehler Winery: Given the myriad styles of Rosé, you are bound to find one that fits every occasion, season, and price point. There are approximately half a dozen techniques for producing Rosé. This results in many different styles. The diversity of Rosé means it has a place on every table any time of the year. Finding a good Rosé for yourself is just a matter of doing your homework. The best kind.
Blending Method
Producing a Rosé wine can be as easy blending red and white wine. Many would argue the results would be mixed at best. However, there are numerous sparkling Rosé wines that are produced this way for excellent results.
Field Blends
Another technique, one that dates back many centuries, is “Oeil de perdrix”, or translated, eye of the partridge. This is the result of field blending red and white grapes and fermenting them together. This was a popular method in the cantons of Switzerland and is still employed in the Tavel commune of France.
Saignée Method
Saignée is a technique by which, prior to the start of fermentation, juice is drawn off from a vessel of red grapes, thereby changing the skin to juice ratio of the portion with the skins. The drawn off juice produces a Rosé while the balance produces a darker (hopefully) red wine. This is often done to benefit the red wine and the Rosé can be an afterthought.
Skin Contact Method
Another common method of Rosé production is simply allowing the juice to remain in contact with the grape skins prior to pressing and fermentation. Some pressure can be applied via feet stomping or a press and the Winemaker will allow the skin/juice combination to sit from one hour to several days.
Vin Gris Method
A derivation of the skin contact method is a technique called “Vin Gris”. This allows for very limited and short skin contact, perhaps only long enough to press the grapes dry. The result is very pale Rosé. Similarly, all of these techniques have variations which produce a vast universe of different Rosé wine.
As a young man in my family’s home, we regularly referred to Rosé as “turkey wine”. It was so called because it often accompanied the many dishes on our holiday table. The reason Rosé is so versatile is that it has similar acid to a white wine, but retains some tannin like a red wine. So, not only is it a great everyday quaffer on the lanai, with the trade winds blowing through your toes, but it can be enjoyed year round. Depending on the occasion, Rosé wines can be found for a few dollars or in excess of $50. Expect to pay $15 to $25 for most.
Finding that one, or several, perfect Rosé wines for your particular occasion can take a bit of work. This is when the fun starts. Taste as many Rosés as you can. You can attend a Rosé Festival, host a Rosé tasting party, or focus on Rosé at a regional wine festival. I find that ordering Rosé when dining out is a good opportunity to try new wines. You can also have your local grocer, wine shop pro, or friendly sommelier recommend a mixed case to try at home. Most “experts” will point out that as Rosés are made darker, they will often have a little more tannin. As always, know your Winemakers. Ask them what they drink. And keep drinking. We’ll make more.
Colin Murphy is the winemaker at Koehler Winery in Los Olivos, California. You can learn a lot more about Colin here. You can learn more about Koehler Winery here.
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