Let’s Start June with Rosé

It’s summertime, the best season for the light and refreshing rosé wine that is becoming widely appreciated among wine lovers for its subtle flavours and, of course, for its soft pink colour. This is the perfect wine for bringing to a picnic in the park or for a backyard barbeque. With our beautiful tradition of weekly wine tastings, last Friday our students got a chance to try several types of rosé from France, Italy and Canada and to learn more about the way rosé is made and how its taste and colour may differ depending on various factors.

Winemakers create a rosé wine by juicing red grapes and then allowing the juice to soak with the skins for a very short period, usually only two to three days. As soon as the juice begins to take on the beautiful pink colour the winemaker desires, the skins are removed and the juice is allowed to ferment, creating delicious rosé. Rosé wines can be made from a wide range of grapes and can vary from highly dry to sweet, from still to sparkling.

The primary flavours of rosé wine are red fruit, flowers, citrus, and melon, with a pleasant crunchy green flavour on the finish similar to celery or rhubarb. Of course, depending on the type of grape the rosé wine is made with will greatly vary the flavour. For example, a deeply-colored Italian Aglianico rosé–rosé is called “Rosato” in Italy, – will offer up cherry and orange zest flavors, and a pale-colored Grenache rosé from Provence in France will taste of honeydew melon, lemon and celery.

Image: PUNCH