French Rose wine

Rose wine has no satisfactory definition, despite lengthy debates in both French and international arenas. Indeed, if European legislation or the International Organization of Vine and Wine provide a definition of good wine, they offer none for white wines, red wines or rose wines.

The controversy around current mixtures of red wine and white wine to develop the rose is an opportunity for producers to recall the special technique of this product.

Rose wine can be described as the product of fermentation of a mash obtained by controlling the maceration of the grape skin.
Although probably the oldest wine in history, the roses were until recently seen as fruity, with a light structure, and a fresh drink.

Though not necessarily true, roses are not perceived to be high class, and winemakers do not always provide them with the care they need.  Rose winemakers are rarely provided the best vintage; this type of winemaking can be recommended to avoid certain shortcomings of black grapes, such as immaturity, rotting, or having an unpleasant taste, or to obtain a more concentrated red wine.
This quotation from a recent book encapsulates the status in which the pink wine has long been imprisoned: “second wine, developed by default, without good technique and unworthy of the interest of the winemaker!” The situation might seem paradoxical in light of the historical importance of this type of wine.

The popularity with consumers gradually allowed a revision of this perception, which may be regarded as obsolete today.
From experience, the winemaker knows that it is difficult to get a pink wine that is both fruity and balanced, while at the same time controlling its color, and have it be consistent from one year to the next.

Varietals used

The grapes used in rose winemaking are very numerous and are not specific to this type of wine as they are also used in the production of red wines. Depending on the region, the grapes include, among others: Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pineau d’Aunis, Pinot Noir, Gamay, TOC, Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache Noir, Tibouren, Syrah, and Mourvedre.

Techniques developed

The production of pink wine poses technical challenges and requires specific knowledge.  The criteria for selecting a parcel destined for rose wine is upscale.

There has been evolution regarding the potential color during the ripening of the harvest.  Experience shows that the usual criteria of selection for high harvest potential in red wine are not directly transposable to pink wines. In particular, the Foliar Surface Lit/kg report of grapes is not as relevant; it will serve more to set limits.
The most recent approaches show that the sorting of parcels may consider the more direct criteria of “low water stress” and “homogeneous color” berries (veraison complete) with a good “flow of the pulp” (pulp not gelatinous).
The winemaker must also be vigilant about the “health of the harvest” which is essential to ensure: liveliness (the purple color) but also the stability of the color of rose wines (no oxidases including laccase enzyme produced by the botrytis), sharpness, aromatic juices (no “earthy” taste), and the quality of settling in to a lesser microbiological contamination of grapes by the indigenous microflora.

The last point to consider is essential for the rose winemaker. It is to assess the “potential color of the grapes,” which varies depending on the variety, and for the same variety to maintain the level of maturity for the year.

An empirical approach is used to record the number of cool nights (<15°C) in August because the temperature range from day to night is favorable to the accumulation of anthocyanins in the film of the grape berry. It can be noted, for example, that the quality level of the 2003 vintage corresponds to the year a heat wave was experienced in Europe.