Rosé is a broad term referring to a style of wine made from red grapes that are carefully pressed from their skins. This gives the juice a pinkish hue while keeping many qualities we love in white wine, like its crispness and acidity. Rather than be limited to a single varietal, rosé wine can be made from any red grape, though each is unique in its color and flavor profile.
What makes wine rosé? In short, red grapes are quickly harvested and pressed to extract the juice. The juice is allowed to ferment like white wine, though a minuscule amount of tannins remain. These wines tend to have more red fruit flavors but with the refreshing acidity of a white wine.
This guide will cover everything you need to know to build the perfect rosé food pairing. We’ll go over the winemaking methods used to make rosé and the different grapes that can be used, plus tasting notes, serving recommendations, and of course, tons of awesome recipes!
Be sure to check out some of our other wine guides, including everything you need to know about Cinsault and Prosecco.
Characteristics of Rosé
Rosé is a broad term referring to any wine with a pinkish hue. These wines are made from red grapes, which are pressed shortly after harvest, keeping them from absorbing the skin’s color and tannins. This makes for a lighter-bodied wine with a flavor somewhere between red and white wine.
Because the term “rosé” is so vast, it can be made in all styles, from still to sparkling and bone dry to sweet. It can also be made from any red grape, though some are more popular than others. Winemakers often plan ahead for the grapes they want to turn into rosé wine, and these grapes are usually harvested earlier in the season so they maintain acidity and crisp flavors.
Fun fact: If you were to do the opposite process in white wine (i.e. fermenting white grapes on their skins like red wine), you’d end up with orange wine!
Tasting Notes
When made in a dry style, rosé will be light in body, with medium-high acidity, low tannins, and low-medium alcohol.
Flavors range from unripened strawberries to citrus, rose, melon, and ripened red fruit. Full-bodied rosé (like those made from Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah) will have more cooked red fruit, white pepper, and bell pepper aromas.
In general, rosé wine is usually made with little to no oak aging. It may be kept as a single varietal or blended with other red, white, or rosé wines.
Winemaking Methods
Four main methods are used to make rosé wine, each with a unique flavor profile and color range.
- Direct pressing – Grapes are immediately pressed from their skins to make the lightest-colored wines. These wines tend to be very crisp and tart, with red cherry and citrus flavors.
- Short maceration method – Grapes are pressed from their skins anywhere from 2 hours to 2 days after harvest. Colors range from salmon to hot pink, and because of the more robust tannins, they tend to be fuller in body with more red fruit notes.
3. Saignée or “bleeding” – A less common method where the juice from red grapes is diverted into a separate tank. This results in a red wine with concentrated flavor and a rosé wine with a fuller body and aging potential. These wines tend to be expensive because only a small amount of rosé can be made from this method.
4. Blending method – A small portion of red wine is added to white wine to make it pink. The most notable example is Champagne, where some Pinot Noir or Pinot Munier will be added to Chardonnay to make rosé Champagne.
Rosé by Varietal
Now that we’ve covered winemaking methods let’s go over the more common grapes that are turned into rosé.
Grenache/Garnacha – Popular in northwest Spain and France’s Provence region. These wines tend to be darker in color with higher alcohol and red fruit flavors.
Cinsault – The main grape used in France’s Provencal rosé. These wines have strong minerality, red fruit, and citrus flavors.
Sangiovese- Found mostly in central Italy’s Tuscany region and the United States. These wines are usually dark in color with strong flavors of strawberry, red cherry, and watermelon.
Syrah/Shiraz – While less common, Australia makes fruity Shiraz rosé with cranberry, strawberry, and a hint of spice.
White Zinfandel – A very sweet “blush” wine made from Zinfandel that’s been partially fermented and contains residual sugar. These wines are found exclusively in California and are known for strawberry candy, orange, and floral notes.
Pinot Noir – Found in France’s Burgundy region and in Champagne, rosé of Pinot Noir is very light in color, with zesty flavors of melon, ginger, and cranberry.
How to Serve
Rosé is best served like a white wine in a standard white wine glass, well–chilled at around 40 – 45°F. Sparkling wine should be served in a tulip or flute glass. Decanting is not necessary.
Notable Regions for Rosé
Any region that makes red wine has undoubtedly tried their hand at making rosé wine. That said, some regions are best known for their rosé. Below are some notable regions for rosé wine.
France
Many regions of France stake their reputation on the quality of their rosé, most notably, the Provence region of Southern France. These wines are made with Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, to name a few. They’re usually dry with flavors of watermelon, strawberry, and mineral.
Champagne is another notable French region for rosé, where winemakers use only Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier to produce rosé Champagne.
Lastly, there’s the Tavel region of the Rhône Valley, the only appellation in France dedicated solely to dry rosé. These wines are made from Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault and have flavors of cranberry, orange zest, and pomegranate.
Spain
In Spain, rosé (or rosado) is a popular style that’s becoming more widely available as younger palettes are drinking more of it. In the Rioja region, these wines are made in the traditional style of oak aging, adding body and tobacco notes, along with red fruit and plum flavors.
Across the Navarra region of northern Spain, winemakers produce big, flavorful wines almost exclusively from Grenache/Garnacha grapes. They’re typically higher in alcohol with flavors of ripe cherry, pear, and red berries.
Italy
In Italy, rosé (or rosato) is made across the country. In central Italy’s Tuscany region, these wines are made from the Sangiovese grape and are bright pink with flavors of red berries, melon, and red cherry.
Oppositely, winemakers in northern Italy’s Trentino-Alto Adige produce delicate rosés from Pinot Noir and Schiava. These wines tend to be light and refreshing, with a bright pink hue and notes of red currant and strawberry.
Food Pairings
Rosé balances the body and crispness of a white wine while keeping its subtle tannins and red fruit flavors, making it a very food friendly and versatile wine.
With red fruit, zest, and minerality, rosé pairs expertly with lean meats or poultry, salad, and seafood, especially if there is a red fruit or citrus element.
Some other favorites are creamy cheeses, grilled meats, spicy, and fried foods. It’s the perfect pairing for my sesame-crusted tuna or alongside delicate and light salmon tartare.
Skip sweet dishes or highly acidic tomato dishes, which would overpower the wine and make it taste dull and flat in comparison.
Whether you’ve always wanted to learn more about the winemaking process or you want to try a new wine pairing with your next dinner, I think you’ll love rosé wine (it’s certainly one of my favorites!). Be sure to shout out any favorite food pairings or specific wines you’ve tried and loved!
Let us know your thoughts!