I’m pioneering the “rosé all year long” campaign (still working on the savvy slogan obviously). I hate when people say, “rosé season is over.” There is no rosé season, rosé is a way of life my friends. From beach to barbeque, club to couch, rosé is always an acceptable answer. With such a pretty pink hue, how can you not be happy sipping this juice?!
One of the reasons I love rosé so much is that it truly is food-friendly. I know, that is such an obnoxious cliché, but in this case it’s so very true. Rosé can bridge the gap between meat and fish, raw and cooked, smoked and baked. Rosé can be made from virtually any red grape ranging from Pinot Noir, Syrah, and yes even your college Zinfandel. This wine is versatile, falling between the spectrums of red and white wine. Rosé is less intense than an uber tannic, funky red, but has more depth than a light white wine.
There are a few different ways real rosé goes down:
Maceration
This common method occurs by letting the skins of the red grapes stay in contact with the wine for a short time. Usually red wines ferment for much longer than 24 hours, so this short-term contact leaves the juice pink instead of varying shades of red. This is the favorite of uber-popular rosé region Provence. With flavors of strawberry, melon, swirling crisp and dry, this minerally magic is the stuff made for patios.
Saignée
The Saignée method is when some of the red wine juice is bled off. The purpose of bleeding off the juice concentrates the red wines’ intensity. “Waste Not Want Not,” am I right? Because of the red wines this method is a byproduct of, they tend to be bolder and darker than maceration roses. Think more cherry, raspberry and lip-smacking spice. Saignée wines are not widely produced, so when you find one, run don’t walk.
Blending
When a small amount of red wine is added to a larger volume of white wine, it is called the blending method. This method is more common in sparkling rosé wines than still, more specifically in the Champagne region. A small bit of Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier juice is added to Chardonnay, giving flavors of raspberry, strawberry, and a big, rich roundness.
Rosé is my jam. Rosé is my summer-camp friend that writes me throughout the year. I beg you to join my forage into fall, glass of pink juice in hand, with a glitter-poster board boasting, “Hell No, We Won’t Go!”
Pair with: Aerosmith “Pink”
Natalie Stewart
IG : @tallerwhenidrink
