I bet you think Rose wines come from a specific grape variety; or are positive Rose is a result of mixing red and white grapes. Well, sorry for breaking your illusions, but you are wrong.
Rose wines are made of red grape variety, however take some of the colour of the grapes but not enough to be qualified as red wines. Out of all known methods of producing Rose wines, the skin-contact method gives the best results. Basically, grapes with black skin are crushed and the skin is left to stay in the contact with the juice for a couple of days to a few months. Before the fermentation, the must is removed after being pressed. The duration of fermentation depends on the desired colour; the longer the skins stay in the contact with the juice, the darker the colour of the wine. Rose wines are never aged for years; the oldest you may find is 2-3 years old maximum.
The region most famous for producing Rose wines is Provence in France. The first bottles of Rose from this region, were produced back in the 1990s. Because of hot summers, wine makers in Provence were looking for a way to make a wine that is complex yet fresh. That’s how Rose was born. However, Rose wines were too sweet for serious wine drinkers. And the mass production of the super sweet white Zinfandel California did not help much. Wine experts even made fun of the Rose wine.
In the late 90’s Rose wines started being imported in the US, butwere not really welcomed with open arms. The reason – the super sweet California Zinfandel. When US buyers saw Rose, they immediately though of the Zinfandel. They saw pink and refused it instantly. “Trying to impose the idea that drinking Rose wine during hot summer days in your garden is cool, was a rather heavy task” claims Kacher, the man who first invested in the technology introduced in France. Luckily, the effort payed off.
Since 2013, the exports of Rose wines to the US market climbed by 40% in volume. Rose wines experienced an increase in sales in Europe as well. In 2012, France was ‘responsible’ for 36% of the entire worldwide consumption of Rose wine, holding the first place in production of Rose wines. Even though the popularity of Rose is on the rise, many still believe that the fame of this wine will be short-lived. Or not. Recently, the most famous power couple in the world, Brad and Angelina started producing their own Rose in the Miraval Province in France. Their first vintage was tested by Wine Spectator (a lifestyle magazine that offers inside’s views on wines) and has made it on their list. Although it is on the 84th place, it is the first and best Rose wine on this magazine’s list.
