Where does the color come from in rosé?

Intense, fresh-fruited, floral and from pale pink to bright pink, they come along, the rosé wines.

It is clearly back in fashion. Be it with an aperitif, fish, poultry or seafood.

But how does its color actually come about?

One thing first: Basically - with a few exceptions as always - rosé wine is not created by blending finished red and white wines. A rosé wine is made from red wine grapes and there are three main production methods:

1. the "macerations" method

After the berries are lightly crushed, maceration begins. It is the time when must has direct contact with the skins. Thus, it is not unusual for red wine to spend up to two weeks in the fermentation tank with the skins to gain color and extract. For a rosé wine, the contact with the skins is usually only a few hours, sometimes even a few minutes. The duration of the contact with the skins is the burr gauge for the expression of the different rosé wine styles: The longer the must has contact with the skins, the darker the color and also the fuller and more intense the flavor.

2. the Abress method

In this method of production, very popular in Provence, the must does not enter the fermentation tank together with the skins, so there is no maceration. The red grapes are pressed directly so that the juice takes on only a light pink color. In this way, the skins give off little color and aroma to the must and it is finally vinified further like a white wine.

3. Bleeding-Method (ital. Salasso-Method)

The French term "Saignée" means "bloodletting" in German and thus already reveals something about this production method. Here, the must enters a fermentation tank together with the skins and these "bleed" their color there. However, the skins are not removed, but the winemaker drains a part (10-20%) of the rosé must after a few hours to vinify it in a separate tank. The must remaining in the fermentation tank is then further vinified with the skins to produce a particularly strong and intensely colored red wine.

In our assortment you will find three different rosé wines:

The Rosa del Golfo Salento IGP (90% Negroamaro, 10% Malvasia Nera) from Cantine Rosa del Golfo from Puglia, the Flower Power Rosato IGT (100% Sangiovese) from Podere 414 from Tuscany and the Rosé 20/26 (40% Merlot, 40% Pinot Nero, 20% Lagrein) from Elena Walch in south tyrol.

Two tips for rosé: