Rosé is known for being halfway between white and red wine. It might, through no fault of its own, have a bit of a murky reputation in some parts of the world. However, one should remember that it is one of the oldest wine varieties there is. As we look back through the annals of history, to the Greeks and Egyptian societies, the people of these cultures would enjoy a nice drink of rosé back in the day. 

How White Zinfandel Ruined Rosé for Everyone

Rosé wine’s reputation was somewhat tarnished by the advent of White Zinfandel which introduced the world to an extremely sweet variety of rosé, which now everyone associates with the category of wine. However, this is wildly misrepresentative of the kinds of wine that you can enjoy in the category of rosé, which is far-reaching and varied. 

Unlike how white wine is made from white grapes, and how red wine is made from red grapes, pink grapes simply aren’t a thing. How on earth do winemakers create such a wine, with its unmistakable pink colour?

The Colour comes from the skin

All grapes, no matter the colour, run clear when juiced. Wines receive their colour from the juice’s contact with the skin of the grapes. As the skin and juice soak together, the colour fro, the skin bleeds into the juice – this gives the wine its colour – be it yellow, red or pink. This process is called maceration. 

Winemakers create a rosé wine by exposing the red grape juice to the skin for a very short period. This usually lasts only between two to three days. The moment the juice starts to take on the beautiful colour that the winemaker desires, the skins are taken away and the juice is left to ferment on its own, the result – lovely rosé. 

Some people think that rosé is made by mixing red wine with white wine. The winemaking community, however, dislikes this process.

Adding sulphites and other additives to the wine is a common practice, however, many holistic winemakers create natural wines without these.

Provence Wine

The wine region is most famous for its production of rosé wine in Provence. This region creates more rosé than any other style of wine. They have become extremely good at it. Quality wines exist here at any price point. If you are looking for a rosé and you happen to be in a store or at a restaurant that you don’t completely trust – then a safe bet is to ask for a bottle of wine from Provence.

Southern Italy also produces a great deal of amazing preservative free wine that you should be able to find some great bottles from there.

If you are stuck on which kind of rosé you should go for, when it comes to this kind of wine, try the likes of rosé of Pinot Noir, Hampton Water rosé, Wolffer Estate Summer rosé. You should look for wine online, at which place you will be able to find all the different varieties of wine available for you to peruse and try at your leisure.