Rose Is Born Again

It is evident that rose is making a come back amongst wine lists and wine shops across the globe.  At one point during the 50s and 60s, rose was ‘the’ choice of wine for consumers.  Rose has kept its presence and demand in the European markets, but began losing its popularity in the United States when one of the wine maker’s at the Sutter Home winery in California came across a unique problem.  During the mid 70’s, there was an abundance of red grapes and very scarce white grapes, which diverted winemaker’s to produce white wine from red grapes.  The problem that had occurred at the Sutter Home winery was the fermentation for white wine from the Zinfandel grape was getting ‘stuck’.  For some reason, the yeast was dying off before all the sugar was converted into alcohol.  This reaction resulted in a sweeter pink wine that was later put on the market for sale.

The white zinfandel craze spread like wild fire throughout the U.S., and many wineries began introducing their versions.  The supple and sweet flavors of white zinfandel were pleasant, and the wine was instantly accepted as a premier choice.

Rose has the perfect balance for cheese pizza topped with pepperoni. Light enough to refresh your palate, but bold enough to mingle with the flavors of cured meat and mozzarella cheese.

This phenomenon hurt the sales of dry rose and sales began to steadily decline.   Through out the next couple of decades, as wine became the trend amongst beverages, consumers became more familiar with styles and characteristics.  The media and various wine publications made a tremendous impact on consumers, educating and informing them on the wonderful world of wine. 

There is no secret to the fact that the balance of rose wine has characteristics and attributes that makes it such a versatile wine for any occasion. In my opinion, I could have rose any day of the week and still be intrigued and interested in it.  Rose gives you the best of both worlds while obtaining its own identity.  Its delicate structure gives off pleasant fruit and floral aromas while obtaining a combination of soft and crisp flavors of berries and hints of zest. 

There is a misconception of how rose is produced, but there are several approaches that are practiced amongst oenologists around the world.  The first method  of producing rose wine is called ‘skin contact’.  Red grapes are crushed into a vat where the skins are left in for a short period of time, roughly 2 or 3 days.  The grapes are then pressed again and the skins are removed.  Typically, the skins are left in for the production of red where the wine obtains all of its berry flavors and tannins.  Depending on the color and flavor the winemaker is trying to achieve is how long the skins are left in.  The second method of producing rose is called Saignee, which basically means bleeding of the vats.  This method can be used when red wine production is in progress, some of the juice is removed from the vat at an early stage.  This process does 2 things:

one is that it intensifies the red wine and second is, it produces rose wine from the bleeding right from the same vat.  Another method that is thought and believed by many, which is the blending of both red and white wine to produce rose is uncommon and rarely used amongst professionals.

Usually the release of current vintage roses are a sign that spring is here. Roses are ideal for cool but yet warm weather that can be enjoyed right through summer and fall.  Rose is probably one of the few wines that can be enjoyed with practically just about anything and everything.  It has just enough components to be enjoyed with meats, poultry, pork, seafood and great sauces. And of course those moments, where you just want to kick back and have a glass of wine on your balcony.

By Frank Stamos