How to choose your rosé wine ?

You are lost in front of the huge ray of fuchsia pink, you don't know which rosé wine to choose ? Your blog on Beaux-Vins wine is here to help you in your quest…

Powerful or light, fruity or animal, wooded or not, young or advanced… Funny how many criteria we are able to use to choose a bottle of red wine or white wine. Oddly, it is rare to do the same with rosés. What if we finally started to choose this wine ? Whether produced in Provence, in the Rhône, in Corsica or even abroad as in Italy, each rosé has a different character and they do not all lend themselves to the same occasions.

Rosés hide their game well

To begin, it is important to set aside popular belief - who still holds on —. Rosé wine is anything but a "sub-wine", but a full-fledged wine. It is not a mix between white and red grape varieties either.. This wine is produced with black grapes with white juice. The juice is left in contact with the skin of the seeds for very little time - a few hours - while the maceration of red wines lasts several days, even weeks. This short maceration allows the skin of the grapes to transmit a small amount of tannin to the juice..

Often, we imagine rosé as a light wine to quench our thirst on the terrace of a cafe, by a swimming pool or for an aperitif before the barbecue. Yet, there is a great diversity of rosé and some such as a Collioure or a Tavel are more powerful than some red wines.

The color tells you a lot about rosé

As for red wines or white wines, rosé is plural. Color is not a guarantee of quality, but she will give you clues about her character. This wine is presented in a transparent bottle and it is a very good thing to be able to observe its color before purchase.

A light color is - often - synonymous with light strawberry aromas, currants or cherries. At the opposite, a dark rosé may reveal more pronounced aromas of blackberries and red fruit jam. Keep in mind that a dark rosé has more aromas, because it macerated longer with the skins.

Since nothing is so simple in the world of wine, you have to keep in mind that in addition to the maceration time, the grape variety used to produce the rosé also plays its role in the color of the wine. Finally, age will vary the color of your wine over time.

The role of the grape variety in aromas

As I told you above, the grape variety used affects the aromas of your wine. This is not a universal truth, but a rosé produced with Merlot, Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon will have notes of red fruits, while with Grenache or Cinsault the wine will have round citrus aromas.

The role of the vintage in aromas

The vintage is a good indication of the character of the wine. A recent harvest suggests a young rosé, lively, aromatic and dashing. If you want a rounder wine, with hints of dried fruits and nuts, opt instead for a more evolved rosé, older. Too often, we believe that this wine should only be drunk young, but this is particularly wrong. A rosé for laying down can be magnificent after five to eight years in the cellar..

What rosé to serve in summer by the pool ?

With the onset of the first heat, we all want freshness. Leave your rosés too full-bodied, like a Clairet or a rosé from the South-West, in your cellar for the less lenient seasons. Less tannic and lighter, Côtes de Provence rosés are perfect to drink by the pool.

Don't be fooled by bad habits. Refrigerator and ice bucket should be used sparingly. Rosé wine is wonderful when served at 12 °C. With the heat, remember to take it out a little cooler. A rosé that is too fresh will anesthetize your palate and you will not enjoy it at its fair value..

What rosé to serve for an aperitif ?

You have just put the charcoal in the barbecue and the olives are out for the aperitif. It's time to uncork a fruity rosé wine with little tannin. You can opt for a rosé from Languedoc or from Côtes de Provence which has a beautiful freshness.. To change a little, you can also turn to rosé wines from Alsace or the Loire Valley. These less sunny regions will produce grapes that are less sweet and therefore rosé wines with a lower alcohol content..

Which rosé to serve during the meal ?

The aperitif is over and your barbecue is finally ready to be served. It's time to serve a more powerful rosé wine than as an aperitif to accompany your meats. Rosés from the Bordeaux region are more tannic and vinous, they will go very well with the meal. You can also uncork your bottle of Tavel produced in Côtes du Rhône. This rosé is very interesting with remarkable intensity and complexity.. It reveals aromas of fresh fruit coupled with notes of grilled dried fruit and spices.

Here are some ideas of rosés depending on the dish :

1. The cold cuts : a rosé with spicy aromas from Syrah and Grenache as in Côtes du Rhône
2. The barbecue : why not opt ​​for a rosé aged in barrels ? The roasting notes will go well with the smoke of the meats.
3. Dessert : turn to a sweeter rosé such as an Anjou Cabernet to accompany your sweet recipes.

It is important to have a finish

Do not think that rosé wine is only a thirst-quenching wine to drink by the pool. There is a great diversity of rosés in France and foreign countries are not left out.. For several years, the quality of rosé wines has greatly improved to offer you beautiful moments of sharing. It is up to you to discover the reality of rosé wine by thinking outside the box.