Most rosé wines are light, elegant, fresh and low in alcohol. This makes them a versatile summer drink that can meet all seasonal challenges. Not surprisingly, in the United States and Australia, countries that are crazy about barbecues, people start drinking rosé wine outdoors as soon as spring arrives. After all, the open fire produces rather pungent and aggressive tasting dishes, which in any other season might be well balanced by red tannins, but in summer you don't want the heaviness of tannins at all. Strong drinks, in hot weather, can lead to over-attention. Beer is too concrete. Rosé wine, on the other hand, is an easy compromise that can keep everyone's enjoyment at a decent level.
Do you know how rosé is made? To understand it well, we will have to delve a little deeper into winemaking technology.
Most of the rosé you see on your table is made from red grapes. The vast majority of these reds have red skins and white pulp, so red wines get their color from maceration, the steeping of fermenting grape juice in the must left over from crushing the grapes. If the white juice is kept in contact with the must for a short time, from a couple of hours to a couple of days, the wine will not turn red, but pink. The faster the contact, the less colored the wine will be. This is how most still rosés are produced. There can be many variations in the hue of rosé, ranging from the faintest of colors to the most intense cherry to look like a red.
Aromas of red fruit, citrus and sweet muscat melon are the main aromas in the bouquet of rosé wine, usually complemented by green notes of celery and rhubarb. Of course, the flavor of rosé depends directly on the type of grape from which it is made. For example, a rosé produced from Aglianico will show notes of cherry and orange peel, while a transparent, freshly colored rosé from Grenache produced in Provence is rich in notes of muscatel melon, lemon, and celery.
Rosé wine is not suitable for aging and should be drunk within two years. It goes very well with all Mediterranean fish, meat, seafood and cheese dishes. A bruschetta with fried shrimp, drizzled with lemon juice and sprinkled with fresh herbs, perfectly complements the rosé wine.
