Pink has a power - why you should be interested in rosé wine?

Until a few years ago, vineyards were reluctant to admit to pink wines, that is, Rose. They were considered as such "lower flights", neither white nor red. In many regions, they were just table wines, plain to eat. And suddenly the pink revolution came. Today, rosé wine is a full citizen of the wine-making world. Nevertheless, Rose wine for decades had to face unflattering myths about itself, at least over the years to be a wine "for women" and necessarily semi-sweet. So, how is it with Rose?

Vina Roze-such a new hipster fashion? On the contrary, rose wines have been known since ancient times. The production and consumption of rose wine dates back to the Phoenicians, around 1550 BC – 300 BC, and Ancient Greece, around 600 BC.But it actually took some time to be considered high-quality in the consumer's perception. 

Overcome the resistance

One of the main stereotypes to overcome was the color itself. Roz was associated with the puppet world, naivety, romanticism. And suddenly there was a generation of millennials who burst into roses. It has become an equal color in the wardrobe of both women and men, athletes have become bolder to use pink (one of the predecessors was the Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal), in 2014, in the Wes Anderson film "Grand Budapest Hotel", all the decor of the World invented by the director was made in candy pink. Today, after these few years, roses are everywhere, there is no gender or age. This is no longer a color designed for little girls. Today it is a neutral color.

This has also affected the fact that rose wines have gained credibility and are no longer just plain table wines, but often front wines. In addition, the millennials mentioned pay attention to this style of wine because it is friendly to the reception. Rose wines do not contain tannins and have a lower acidity, which makes them lighter and does not require much oenological knowledge to enjoy them.

According to the report for 2021-Rosé Wines World Tracking, total consumption of rose wine before the pandemic reached 23.5 million hectoliters in 2019, an increase of 23% compared to the global consumption recorded in 2002. Moreover, more than half of global rose wine consumption in 2019 occurred in France (35%), followed by the United States (15%) and Germany (7%).

In terms of production volume, 23 million hectoliters were produced in 2019, compared to 22.4 million hectoliters in 2002. 

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Turning point

Rose wines are associated with Provence. This is where the fashion for the” modern " rose came from. Even though Rose had been drinking here for ages, it needed outsiders to make a difference. In 2006, the French-American company Sacha Lichine acquired Chateau d'Esclans in Provence. Lichin had a deep knowledge of international wine markets: his father, Alexis Lichin, an influential American wine merchant, owned the Priere-Lichin Chateau in Margot, Bordeaux. Lichine junior had an amazing time and one goal: to make Provencal Rose wine a fine wine and create a world-famous brand-Whispering Angel. It produced 130,000 bottles of its first crop in 2006. In 2016, this number grew to three million bottles, and production has been steadily increasing since then. 

A little Hollywood stardust also helped the Provencal rose. Famous couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt bought Chateau Miraval in Provence in 2008. In 2013, they debuted with the 2012 yearbook, which sold out. Most importantly, both Whispering Angel and Miraval were taken seriously by critics – because they were well-made wines.

The success of Chateau d'Esclans or Miraval has also attracted the attention of more traditional rose wine producers such as Domaines Ott. The Ott family was a pioneer in the production of high-quality rose wine, and their iconic amphora-shaped rosé bottle achieved the status of an icon on Cote d'Azur yachts. The Ott family has been engaged in rose making for more than 120 years. They prove that rose wines can be on the same level as the best white and red wines, and are included in the wine lists of fine restaurants around the world. 

źródło: https://www.etonline.com/brad-pitt-is-the-face-of-rose-wine-in-new-ad-ca

How is Rose wine produced? 

Varieties intended for rose wines include classic reds (such as Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Syrah, or Pinot Noir). The wort (that is, the squeezed juice from red grapes) is macerated along with the skin of the grapes for a very short time, from 2 to 24 hours, only to give the wine a shade of pink (sometimes powdery, like wines from Provence or California, sometimes deep, like purple-Australian wines). The color is directly a result of the maceration length.

Their lightness and minimal shade of tannins are due to the fact that during the vinification process they do not come into contact with the oak barrel. Although pink wines are being experimented with today and some are aged in barrels, such as those previously used several times, this gives the wine a different dimension.

Saignée means "to bleed" in French, saignée is often a byproduct of red wine production rather than a specially produced rose wine. Therefore, the wine produced by this method is not considered a serious rose wine, like wine obtained from grapes and vineyards dedicated to it.

This method is common in regions where winemakers strive to produce concentrated, large, expressive red wines.

"Bleeding" part of the wine from the tank in the early maceration process gives a greater concentration of the remaining juice. The lighter juice that has" bled out " is vinified separately as Rose Wine, and this gives the wine a deeper color.

Rosé saignée is often of excellent quality and great to drink, but you should know that it tends to be a more commercial wine, with more "sweetness" (not sugar, but sensation), with less freshness, good for those of you who prefer richer, fruitier rosé wines.

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Pink pink unequal

Making a phenomenal Rose Wine is an art form. There are wineries that have one or two rosé wines in their extensive portfolio – the right ones, often in the so-called entry-level portion of the offer. But there are also vineyards that produce only one or two wines, and these are just the wines of the rose, such as the Provencal Aix, where the vineyard literally produces only one wine. The management of the vineyard, the time of harvest, the method of production – everything is thought out to get the best possible rose wine. I am a proponent of rose wines originating in the vineyard, that is, where the idea of wine begins with the grape bushes and ends in the winery. 

Rose wine, depending on many factors (variety, region and climate, vintage, maceration time) can have a shade from light pink to strong, like fuchsia. I repent of the belief that pale roses are the guarantee of quality and class. This is not entirely true. Quality, a palette of impressions, but also boredom can be found both among the "pale" and among these saturated pink shades. Not the color determines the high level of rose wine! It should be understood that, as in the case of any other style of wine – white, red, sparkling – Rose wine can be simple, or it can be serious, high-quality, elegant.

Not just for Valentine's Day

Pink-that is, sweet, feminine, romantic, wine for a pool party, pink flamingo, skimpy pink bikini, well, outside of the summer season, at most Valentine's Day. I often hear people ask, " What kind of wine is pink for Valentine's Day dinner?"Then I answer with the question: "What will you have for this dinner?". Rose wine goes handsomely with food.

If you, dear reader, are already running to the nearest store for a rose to make sure that I am right. Then I'll hold you back. 

First, as with white and red wines, in order for the wine to shine With the food and the dish to taste great, it is necessary to choose the right wine, its structure, style, aromas to what we have on the plate. Secondly, unfortunately, in Poland, most supermarkets of rose wines at prices below 30 PLN are still semi-sweet, semi-dry, sweet wines. Sugar is a slightly stronger make-up. As with red wines, the barrel covers all the flaws (we're certainly not talking about sweet "royal" wines like Tokay or Sauternes, which offer us their sweetness in the embrace of perfect acidity). So on our native shelves, you need to search a little. but you can find great roses.  

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The perfect food companion 

Rose wine is a wine for the whole year, for all occasions, for many dishes. The challenge is only to choose the right one. Rose wine is a great wine for the table - from brunch to picnic, BBQ, dinner to fine dining. It's versatile when it comes to combining it with dishes. 

It gives off flavors of red varieties, and yet it's fresher than them. With today's climate change, this is a wine that is an alternative to many red wines. Today, many consumers are looking for freshness and at the same time structure in wine. A well-made Rose is a great answer to this demand.

In addition, it is worth noting that rose wine is not just one type of wine. As I have already mentioned, the grape variety, region, and production style determine the style of rose wine. Thus, the rosé can be of light construction or well-built. Very dry or high in residual sugar. Most of the Rose is produced in stainless steel vats, which allows you to reveal the freshness of the aromas. But there are roses that ripen in oak. Some roses have such a good structure that they can be successfully combined, for example, with pork. Those that have a more pronounced sweetness, but still good acidity, are perfect for savory dishes, such as Thai cuisine. This is because the taste is sweet and tangy to our palate perfectly balanced.

Pink can be combined with countless ingredients: cheeses, salads, seafood, fish, pork, poultry-everything depends on the choice of structure and aromas of wine for the dish, that is, the type of protein, heat treatment, sauces, additives, spices. But this rule applies when choosing wine of any color, pink is no exception. The only challenge is to find wines from vineyards with excellent geological and climatic conditions, well made, elegant and suitable for a la carte dishes. 

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize another aspect concerning rose wines – and many wineries, especially Rosé premium winemakers, already understand this - that rose wine is synonymous with lifestyle. Rosé is the epitome of the Mediterranean dolce vita, joie de vivre, feasting, fun, joy, nature, food ... when a bottle of rosé is uncorked in a meal, whether it is home-made, simple or refined dining, barriers are removed, no one thinks about where this wine comes from, what its vintage is, what the weather was like during the harvest, how many days were on the skins, etc. It is important whether it is a good wine, pleasant to drink and in harmony with the food. Because this wine, in my opinion, is an indispensable component of the table along with butter, cheese, bread, sea salt…