Wine Art in France

Whether it is rose, "blush", rosado (Spain) or rosato (Italy) - all of these terms refer to pink-colored wines. This pink color can vary from a soft, subtle hue to a vibrant, hot shade, based on the grape utilized and the duration of contact of the grape skins with the juice.

How does rose wine get its color?
Most of the rose wines are produced from red grape varietals. The varietals that are most commonly used in making rose wines include Zinfandel, Grenache, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Sangiovese. These varietals might be either used alone or blended with other varietals. Rose varietals are usually country dependent, so a rosado from Spain might typically be principally made from the Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes, whereas Italy might tend to lean towards more Sangiovese for its rosatos and the Unites States might employ Zinfandel, Cabernet and Merlot. Normally, the skins of a red grape are left to have contact for a brief period with the grape juice.

The smaller the contact period with the skins, the lighter is the wine's color. Extended time of contact between the juice and skins leads to a number of startling, eye catching color shades from lively orangey-pink to an extremely bright hot pink. Sparkling rose wines are usually produced with a mixture of red and white grapes. Though this method is generally restricted to the sparkling variety, it has come up in the production practices for a few still rose wines too.

Taste and Flavor Profile of Rose Wine
Rose wines usually taste sweet, off-dry or bone dry, with most European roses being decidedly dry. Their flavors tend to be subtle with fruit aromas of strawberries cherries or raspberries.

When to Drink Rose Wines?
Rose wines are very suitable for spring and summer seasons, as they are typically served chilled and can be a stimulating complement to an assortment of warm weather fare. Rose wines are also top rated for their food-friendly flexibility. Therefore, if you intend to go for surfing you can easily rest assured that a rose wine can manage both the seafood and the grilled steak in one fell sip.

It is also an awesome picnic wine, as it comprises of both a lighter body and leaves an aroma of extended subtle flavors on the palate, offering you a great wine combination for a ham, chicken or roast beef sandwich, together with a potato, egg salad or a fruit. Rose wines are also enjoyable with a choice of chips and dips. Moreover, these wines are also the perfect match for a backyard grill, hot dogs and even French fries and sauce with considerable ease.