Rosé all Day?!
The days are getting longer, warmer and sunnier – summer, you are here! How much I love you for the atmosphere, the good vibes and all the joyful inventive drinks. It is easy to fall in love with the flavors of the season: light, refreshing, flavorful – herbs, red berries, lemon, and grapefruit. Yum!
But who is that, waiving from afar, running full speed into our garden parties, weddings, and beach escapes? Move over Beer, move over Cocktails, Rosé is here! And she is staying ALL DAY! Seemingly adopted by every producer inspired by news of double-digit sales growth, the light-pink-to-salmon complexion beckons from the glass, sparkling as it reflects in the sun. I linger, full of excitement to try that first sip - but the taste… so disappointing. It’s summer and I am drinking yet another uninspired, flabby, pink-colored wine.
The concept of Rosé is not new, in fact, it’s a Roman invention from the 6th Century BC. At that time white and red grapes were planted, harvested and prepared together, resulting in a very aromatic, vivid, pale red wine. Provence and Tavel in the Southern Rhône later became experts in the art of making a refreshing but complex drink in this tradition. For many wineries today the story is different – Rosé is merely a convenient side product of red winemaking. They draw off freshly macerated juice from the red wine barrel, allowing the pink juice to ferment on its own, while a larger amount of red wine is extracted due to the higher grape skin to juice ratio.
One batch of grapes therefore results in two products – smart, right? The downside here is that both the Rose and the Red Wine emerge from the exact same growing conditions, rather than unique preparations intended to achieve the best possible result for each product. Why not focus on refreshing, aromatic whites or lighter reds instead? What about intentionally using the red grapes for Rosé wine production? Is a lower price point preventing Rosé lovers from getting a quality product?
A great Rosé is a finely textured, elegant wine with vivid acidity and low alcohol. It doesn’t wear you out but lifts you up to the beat of summer. Although I don’t like waste, I hate to see winemaking without thought, as merely a side product filling a trend gap, without any genuine love for the craft by winery or winemaker. Because indeed, those wines are fun, they come in pretty bottles, they shine and shimmer, but they must be interesting at the end of the day. Perhaps when the trend slows, quality will return to the heavy, sagging, overripe Rosé world, and I can finally drink a happy wine again that makes me want more, more summer, more life and a bit more wine too. 😉