Rosé all day!
Spring is well and truly in full swing and that means it is officially Rosé season!
This refreshing pink wine is the perfect ice-cold drop on a hot day – especially as a thirst quencher if you’re poolside or at the beach.
So, what really is Rosé wine?
Although Rosé is neither a red or a white wine, did you know that it is most commonly made from red wine grapes? Rosé is made when the juice from red grapes is drained off skins before the colour becomes too dark. The wine picks up its pink colour from the skin of the red grapes, which contain colour pigments called anthocyanins. Different winemaking techniques can also influence the depth of colour.
Rosé Myth Debunked
Now is probably the right time to debunk the myth that a darker colour of Rosé means it will be a sweeter wine! In actual fact, a darker colour does not mean it will taste sweet. Usually, sweetness will be indicated in the tasting notes on the back label - keep an eye out for Pink Moscato or White Zinfandel if you are looking for a sweeter drop.
So, how is Rosé wine actually made? Whether you're a wine connoisseur or only just beginning to explore the world of Rosé, read on to find out how your favourite summer wine is made.
How to Make Rosé: Maceration
This is the most common method to make high-quality Rosé in Australia. Up until a few years ago, Australian winemakers made Rosé as an afterthought, whereas nowadays wines are being carefully made from grapes specifically grown to produce Rosé.
Fruit is brought to the winery and crushed to a tank where the grapes are then macerated (fruit and juice soaked together) for a period of time to allow for colour and flavour extraction.
Maceration can occur for less than an hour to up to 24 hours, depending on the style of Rosé being produced. Light, blush pink Rosé wines will only undergo maceration for a very short period of time. Once the desired colour and flavour profile is reached, the winemaker will then rack the juice off the skins to begin fermentation.
This method can make many styles of Rosé depending on grape variety and length of maceration.
How to Make Rosé: Direct Pressing
This method is the same method that is used to make white wines. Fruit is brought straight to the winery and pressed directly to tank with no maceration time. This quick separation of skin and juice results in just enough color to make a pale pink Rosé wine – this process actually tends to produce the lightest-colours out of all the methods.
How to Make Rosé: Saignée
Saignée (san-yay) is a French word that directly translates to ‘bleeding’. This method involves draining or ‘bleeding’ off a portion of juice directly from a tank that will go on to make red wine. The drawn off juice is then used to make Rosé. The benefits of bleeding off the juice not only produces a delicious Rosé, but it also concentrates the intensity of the red wine.
Rosé wines produced using this method are often more full-bodied compared to other styles.
How to Make Rosé: Blending
As the name suggests, this method involves adding a very small amount of red wine to a white wine, producing a pink wine! Although this is not a very common method to produce still Rosé wine, blending is actually used to make high quality Rosé Champagne and sparkling wines.
Our Rosé wines
Now you know all about how Rosé is made, be sure to try some our favourite pink drops!
Deep Woods Estate 2024 Rosé
This Rosé is produced from Margaret River fruit and made to sit alongside the very best wines from the Deep Woods stable. The aim was to make a contemporary style of Rosé; nuanced and delicate, yet still full-flavoured.
Strelley Farm Estate Pét Nat Rosé
This is a lightly sparkling wine with a mouthwatering, juicy acidity bursting with vibrant tropical flavours. Best drunk on a hot summers' night with your feet in the sand, watching the golden sun slowly dip below the horizon.
This Pét Nat was made in a hands-off, minimal intervention style before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Millbrook Winery 2023 Regional Rosé
This wine has aromas of scratched mandarin peel, just-ripe strawberries and rose petal. Bursting with bright red berry fruits, a fresh mineral acidity and a subtle savoury texture. Refreshing and dry - this is the ultimate summer Rosé.
Deep Woods Estate 2023 Harmony Rosé
“Dry Rosé is a great wine style – one that we put a lot of work into at Deep Woods Estate. This Rosé continues a run of excellent vintages, combining great freshness and lightness in a wine that is still complex and satisfying.” – Julian Langworthy, Chief Winemaker
Juicy and flavoursome with fresh raspberry and ripe, expressive strawberry. An unashamedly dry finish with a gorgeous silken texture and bright acidity.
Evans & Tate 2022 Classic Rosé
This Rosé has lifted aromatics of freshly crushed strawberries, rose petal and Turkish delight, adding lovely layers of perfume. Red berry fruits immediately fill the mouth. It is long, fresh and flavoursome with a refreshing, dry finish.
You can shop all Fogarty Wine Group Rosé wines here.
