All about rosé

Rosé has certainly seen a huge rise in popularity over the last five years or so. From backyard barbecues through to fine dining restaurants there isn’t a place you won’t see rosé.

Here are the top four questions we have been asked about rosé, so what better time to share some answers than right now – as we celebrate International Rosé Day!

WHAT IS ROSÉ?

This is a great question. Most wines in Australia are known by their variety – you might ask for shiraz or for pinot gris when out, but rosé is a little different to this. It’s not a variety, but rather a category of wine – like red wine or white wine – it’s rosé wine.

Rosé is made in a similar way to red wines – it is made from red grapes, and its pink colour comes from the juice spending time in contact with the grape skins (just a whole lot less time than red wines). The amount of time the juice spends with the skins will determine how light/deep the pink colour of the rosé is. Once the winemaker is happy with the colour, the skins are taken out and the fermentation process continues.

Within the realm of rosé, there are many styles available. Some are sweeter while others are made to be drier, or more savoury. And there are sparkling rosés too. To make a sweeter style, a winemaker will stop fermentation early to leave natural sugars from the grapes in the wine. Our rosé is a dry style – it’s crisp and fresh with zesty red fruits and musk, and finishes with a savoury edge.

WHAT VARIETIES ARE USED TO MAKE ROSÉ?

Rosé can actually be made from any red grape in the world! But it isn’t… and that is because some varieties lend themselves to the style better. You will often find rosé might be a blend of a few varieties, to bring different characteristics to the wine.

Varieties popular for making rosé around the world include grenache, mataro/mourvedre, pinot noir, cinsault, shiraz and cabernet. Even the good ol’ very sweet ‘white zinfandel’ is a rosé (made from zinfandel which is a red grape).

Described as a ‘prime rosé variety’ by Young Gun Of Wine, grenache is the main grape for making rosé in France (think Provence) and is growing in popularity in South Australia.

We think grenache is a fab variety for making rosé, with aromas of musk and hints of strawberries and cream, and delicious vibrant red fruits on the palate. And we add mataro in with the grenache, as it brings the savouriness due to its tannin structure.

AT WHAT TEMPERATURE SHOULD I DRINK MY ROSÉ?

It needs to be chilled! Make sure your rosé has been the in the fridge or esky, so it’s around 8˚C when you’re ready to drink. For more information on wine serving temperatures, check out our blog post.

WHAT SHOULD I EAT WITH ROSÉ?

Rosé doesn’t need to be pigeon-holed as a pre-dinner drink or a wine to only enjoy casually with a platter of cheese and other goodies (although these are great). It can be a serious meal-time wine, and has some great food matches.

A rosé that is a dry style (rather than sweet) it a great match for lighter savoury dishes like quiche, antipasto plates and chicken salad. You could also pair with salmon or prawn dishes, or simply a fabulous tin of Ortiz Anchovies.

If you’d like to match with a cheese, a rich, decadent creamy cheese will be a great match for a fresh, fruit driven rosé. Bec also likes to enjoy a glass with some sea salt chips – perfect alongside a cheese platter.

We think an easy mid-week dinner match is a bowl of spaghetti with a tomato sauce. We love this traditional recipe from local Angaston restaurant Casa Carboni – Spaghetti con Sugo al Pomodoro.

Melissa Moore, Head Somm for Merivale in Sydney, agrees she would 100% enjoy our Small Victories Rosé with a lobster roll for lunch.

And Matt Dunne, sommelier and wine list creator for ARIA Sydney and Opera Bar (among others), had this fab suggestion as a match for our Small Victories Rosé:

I’VE DEFINITELY LANDED IN DESSERT TERRITORY, SWEET TOOTH THROUGH AND THROUGH – SALTED DARK CHOCOLATE TART WITH RASPBERRIES PLEASE!
MATT DUNNE ON WINEPILOT.COM