What could be better this month than an article about our dear and tender rosé?
Hi all!
That's it! It's summer! What if we talked about rosé? We love it, we appreciate it… But do we know everything about him?
Did you know that it appeared in Provence more than 2000 years ago?
Indeed, the Phocaeans introduced viticulture and made very pale wines due to the short maceration of the juice in contact with the grape skin. Its notoriety in the Mediterranean developed 2 millennia ago!
Favorite wine of the French for the summer!
The France is the leading rosé producing country with 30% of world production, ahead of Italy (approx.20%) and the USA (en. 15%). It is the leading global consumer (about 37%)! The France is also the largest importer (approx. 22%) [source CIVP, 2013]
How do we vinify rosé? – Several possible solutions
The rosé de saignée: The red grapes are inked, then after a few hours a slightly pink hue is obtained. We extract some of the juice and start the fermentation. This not only makes it possible to obtain a fruity and light wine but also to increase the marc/juice ratio of the red wine and therefore its concentration.
Maceration rosé: It is the same principle as the rosé de saignée by letting the juice and skins macerate longer. The color will intensify. Think of a tea bag: the more it brews, the more colorful the tea is!
The rosé de pressurage: Here, the grapes will be pressed directly. Thus we have very little contact between the skin and the juice. Most of the rosés of Provence are vinified like this. We obtain light, floral and fruity wines.
Each region has its own rosé!
Provence alone accounts for about 40% of national rosé production and 6% of world production. It is a dry and very pale rosé produced with the flagship grape varieties: Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan.
We find the famous TAVEL in the Rhone Valley. It was a rosé very appreciated by Louis XIV 🙂
In Bordeaux, there are 3 appellations for rosé including the famous Rosé Clairet which stands out for its very sustained color. It is a wine that goes well with spicy dishes.
In the Loire we find the only AOC of sweet rosés, it is Cabernet d'Anjou! To be enjoyed in the heart of a melon, it is delicious…
There are also some pink bubbles in Champagne ! Note that this is the only region that can mix white and red wines!
What agreements?
It is a wine that can be drunk at any time of the meal. We will favor those that are light, type Provence with light dishes and those more vinous type Tavel or Bordeaux with spicy dishes like a paella!
See you soon for new news!
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