Need relief from the summer heat? How about a nice Rosé? Seriously this heat wave does nothing good for red wines, particularly a big Napa Cab of 15% alcohol or above, unless perhaps you’re trapped in a wine cellar. So we’ll explore all the delicious colors and flavors of Rosé.
In a separate blog we cover folk music; not the most popular music currently, but with a long, continuing history that has also made great contributions to history. Finally, I guess I wasn’t through with summer blockbusters so we cover them in another blog. I hope you like the new format for these topics.
Summer is a Rosé
Lately I’ve been eyeing all the delightful colors of Rosé; enclosed in a variety of bottles and my thirst quickened. A crisp, light, strawberry and melon Rosé works so well on a summer day. And it’s past time we were covering them. Rose wines are quite versatile for pairing with foods, display lively colors that visually tell us what the wine might taste like with many featuring a crisp and lively palate.
The French love Rosé wines; they make a ton of them, they export a boatload, but they consume even more than go out the door. Besides the wide range of styles there, we have Rosato in Italy and Rosado in Spain. In the US there are many styles available from lighter, crisper versions to sweeter, fuller styles. This includes so-called blush styles that are generally sweeter, such as white Zinfandel. However the trend most decidedly is drier, crisper styles which enhance their food-friendly characteristics.
Rosé Styles
Many of the lighter pink and crisper Rosé wines, such as classic Provence are more in demand, and winemakers in other countries and regions have taken note. The popularity of Provence-style Rosé is constant, and influences Languedoc and Rhône Rosé wines as well.
However, while it’s the predominant style there are other Rosé wines that produce richer, darker-colored wines that extend food-pairing into typical red wine territory. Longer extraction of the skins pulls in more polyphenols and red wine accents for a deeper, richer Rosé. On a hot summer day this style has less refreshment and lift but in the depths of winter it’s a good alternative.
Color and bottle design
One of the benefits of Rosé is that what you see is what you get. The color ranges from Gris or grey, to deep red wines from Tavel and Rioja Rosado. Adding to the variety of color is the myriad of bottle shapes. Rose is in everything from squat to hourglass to exceedingly tall. Not to mention the Mateus flask and Lancer’s crock. Clearly some manufacturers don’t care if their bottle fits in your wine cellar, let alone a mini-fridge.
Perceptions of Rosé wines have changed over time so that most wine drinkers expect a drier, lighter style, although the word “dry” in front of Rose is often used.
Rosé Wine Basics
Rosé wines are made predominantly from red wine grapes, using one of three processes.
- Saignée (sohn-yay) or bleeding method: Free run juice, around 10%, bled off for Rosé and permits two wines to be made; Rosé and a richer more intense red wine.
- Free-run juice comes from un-pressed grapes, which can be:
- Blended back into the wine
- Sold as Saignée Rosé, which has intense, dark colors and uses the juice after 2 hours to 2 days of runoff before pressing and fermented separately
- Because the primary wine is red, grapes are harvested later than typical Rosé
- Maceration, similar to conventional red wine, but juice taken off skins after 3 – 24 hours
- The grapes are harvested earlier than for red wine to preserve acidity and red fruit flavors and brighter notes
- Blending red and white wines to create Rosé, typical of Champagne Rosé but not permitted in other wine regions of France.
Vin Gris: This is not another process, but reflects a wine using lighter skin grapes like Pinot Noir, and Grenache where the color is pale pink, but not normally grey. There is also no maceration time as is typical of saignee method, or when using the maceration technique. An unregulated term.
Domestic Rosé
Considering the classic red grapes used, many areas within the US can make good Rosé; typically using either the saignée or maceration technique. More sweet versions show up than in the Old World, with sweeter ones identified by long extraction times that make them close to red wines in color. This is certainly true in New Mexico where a Provence-style is not the most popular, but that is changing. The broadest range of Rosé is in California, which is where most folks will get domestic Rosé.
Region plays less when it comes to Rosé wines as long as the fruit is there. Any area that makes good red wines using any of the classic grapes from Gamay and Pinot Noir to Rhone varietals can make a good Rosé if it is harvested earlier than reds and alcohol and extraction levels are controlled. In many cases the level of sweetness will need to be confirmed. Blush wines normally have residual sugar.
Monterey County Rosé
Monterey County has long been a great area for wine. It has subareas that excel at classic coastal varieties like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir and there are always pockets that produce a wide variety of other grapes.
Approximately 85 vintners call Monterey home. There are 8 primary soil types and 42 grape varieties consisting of 19 whites and 23 reds. The wineries are primarily located in Monterey, Carmel Valley and River Road which parallels highway 101. If you’ve ever driven this portion of 101 you’ve seen the wine tasting signs along with the warnings of picking up hitchhikers around Soledad prison.
The two most influential elements are the Blue Grand Canyon; the name of the deep marine canyon off Monterey Bay, and the thermal rainbow which causes a 40 degree difference between day and night temperatures in summer, which is one heck of a diurnal shift.
For your consideration: Longford 2021 Pinot Noir Rose 12.5% ABV, $7.59
This is another wine from Smith’s. I always get at least 6 bottles to get the added 20% discount along with my discount for being a Smith’s shopper. Otherwise this would be closer to $15. Wine & Spirits gave this wine 90 points and a best buy. Well at my price it was a heck of a best buy.
The estate vineyard of Longford is sustainably farmed, with a long growing season that benefits from the Monterey climate. They produce Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Rose of Pinot Noir.
Winemaking: Hand-harvested in the cool morning hours to ensure bright and lively flavors, the grapes were then destemmed, lightly crushed, and allowed to macerate with their red skins for 12 hours before being gently pressed. Maceration is the process of soaking the color and phenols out of the grape solids and allows for a greater extraction of color and flavor. Fermentation was conducted with select yeast at cool temperatures in stainless steel to retain the bright fruit esters and floral aromas. After fermentation, our Pinot Noir Rosé was aged in stainless steel for seven months.
Tasting notes: A medium-bodied wine that spills forth with lively aromas of fresh strawberries and pomegranates, with lovely floral notes. Bright fruit flavors of raspberry and cherry are framed by a crisp, balanced acidity that unfolds into a smooth, elegant finish.
This wine delivers good crispness and solid Pinot Noir flavors. It won hands down over the French Rose we tried. A bit of a surprise, but that’s why we do wine tasting, right? A bit more extracted, revealing more fruit and a better mouthfeel. And did I mention it was cheaper?
Organic vs biodynamic vs sustainable wine
On the radio show this week Eddy asked me if sustainable was just a buzz word. That led me to the Wine Folly article I summarized below.
Each category of certification has differing founding principles, although a lot of shared principals, which means the terms do overlap. And there are numerous standard for each category, both within different wine regions and globally. The synopsis for each category is listed below. For more information see: https://winefolly.com/tips/beyond-organic-certified-sustainable-wine/
If we list each category as having a founding principle this is Wine Folly’s description:
- Organic: Purity of product using non-synthesized ingredients.
- Biodynamic: Holistic agricultural health.
- Sustainable: Mitigation and reduction of wastefulness in winemaking.
All three categories focus on health benefits of the wine to some degree and more grapes are grown organically. Mass-produced wines, by their very nature are seldom organic because of the use of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and other nasty chemicals. And then there are the additives to make them sweeter, more visually appealing, etc.
As I’ve often said, life is too short for cheap wine and becomes shorter the more you indulge in it.
Sustainable practices offer environmental advantages in the use of water, power and other resources, such as solar power, etc. I’d assume they’d reduce any harmful chemicals, even without a separate organic sticker. But the principal is environmental; less harm to the earth. Whether that actually does positively impact the earth is for the buyer to decide when they buy the wine.
The idea of humankind’s negative impact on the land has been blown so out of proportion we now have folks worried about CO2, which is one of the essential chemicals that keeps us all alive, and want to see it reduced. Why I find this strange is plants, included grape vines, thrive on CO2. Increasing the amount of CO2 in a hothouse greatly increases yield and quality. I’d think that would be a positive thing.
So bottom line, if you bought an electric car recently to help sustain the earth, you’d probably be happy to buy sustainable wines. My focus is on how well the wines are made and how good they taste, but that’s just me.
French Rose
If we tried to chart where French Rose wines are made, there are few places that don’t do them regularly, although demand has certainly influenced that. If one includes sparkling Rose then even Champagne and Burgundy are making it. But for still wines, all that’s required is having enough red wine grapes to make a lighter, crisper Rose as those using the saignée process have done for decades.
Loire Valley
Cabernet Franc-based Rosé has less tannin than its offspring Cabernet Sauvignon and bright red fruit. Gamay is also popular here and Grolleau, which are the basis of Rosé d’Anjou; a lush, off-dry wine that even pairs with grilled meats. Cabernet Franc Rosé sometimes uses the saignee process.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux Rosé is made from Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties in which a slight blush or pink color is derived from brief skin contact. The wines are dry and have appealing young cherry and strawberry fruit; and work when summer heat makes a Left Bank Grand Cru a poor choice.
Rhone Valley
Some of the most popular grapes for Rose; Grenache, Syrah, Mourvēdre and Cinsault, come from here making lighter to more fuller-bodied wines.
Languedoc-Roussillon
This subregion in southern France has been making more and more quality wines and Rose is no exception. Located to the west of the Rhone Valley, it extends along the Mediterranean Sea to the Spanish border. It contains both coastal, valley and mountainous areas.
- Uses all the Rhone grapes including Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Carignan.
- Largest wine region in the world, 700,000 acres, 1/3 of French production
- The highest production of Rose wines; even more than Provence
With the Mediterranean coast on the east and the Pyrenees to the south, the region’s varying terroir make a broad spectrum of rosés. Diversity in soil types, ocean breezes and Southern France sun provide the environment for unique vintages and colors from unripe peach to deep coral.
Provence
This wine region is east of Rhone and along the French coast. Provence and Rose are often thought of together and no wonder considering the output. Most Rose comes from 4 subregions, which each have a different influence on the final product.
- Côtes de Provence is the largest AOC, and the biggest producer with about 75% of wine production (nearly 90% is Rosé), this region is also the most diverse in climate, altitude of vineyards, soils and rainfall. Harvest times range up to 60 days.
- Coteaux d’Aix en Provence is second in size, and heavily influenced by the Mistral winds. Rosé is usually a blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Syrah and Counoise.
- Coteaux Varois de Provence or “The Heart of Provence”, is in the middle of Provence and features undulating limestone mountain ranges so there are a multitude of ‘meso-climates’. Vineyards at higher altitudes benefit from longer, slower ripening, preserving acidity. Rosé wines are crafted from Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Grenache and Syrah.
- Bandol has well drained sandy marl and limestone soils perfect for heat loving, late ripening Mourvèdre. The Rose wines are richer and more extracted than classic Provence Rose.
For your consideration: Simple Truth Provence Rose, 12.5% ABV, $11.19
From the name one can tell this came from Smith’s food stores. The grapes are from Coteaux Varois de Provence and it identifies as crisp; a lot easier to verify when we’re talking about wine. I picked it up because of the Provence subregion and the price. I actually do a fair amount of shopping at Smith’s and not just to grab my usual dozen croissants.
From the Kroger website: Keep it simple with Simple Truths wines. This simple yet succulent Provence Rosé reveals delightful floral and berry aromas, leading to elegant and bright notes of melon, red berries, and white peach. This rosé does not disappoint with its dry, crisp mouthfeel and lovely lingering notes of peach and minerals. Pairs well with prosciutto, pizza, or grilled chicken.”
When we tasted this wine on-air I was a bit disappointed with the lower acidity level and lack of bright fruit flavors I associate with Provence wines and I don’t recommend it if that is your expectation. It’s an easy-drinking wine, just not very exciting.
If you’ve been following my blog, and thank you for that, I decided to break out the other Salon Saturday content into different blogs as most of you came for the wine. Can’t say I blame you. Jim
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