The Art of Rosé

All Rosé wine is made in one of the four methods listed below. Rosés can range from light and delicate to full bodied pinks that almost seem like a very light bodied red. They can range from bone dry to sweet, though the vast majority on the market are dry. In the end, there is a wide range of Rosés that are sure to offer something for everyone.

The Methods:

Saignée:

Pronounced “San•Yay” A French term that translates to “bled” or “to bleed”. In this method juice is drawn or “bled” off the top of fermenting red wine before the fermentation process has extracted a high amount of pigment. This process was started as a way to add concentration to red wine (increasing the juice/skin ratio) before producers realized they could finish fermenting, bottle and sell juice that otherwise would have been dumped.

Blending:

This method is simple enough to understand: Red Wine + White Wine = Rosé.

This method takes place when wines have completed fermentation. It is important to note that blending red and white wines post fermentation is prohibited in all PDO wines in Europe, with the sole exception of Champagne.

Direct Pressing:

Very similar to limited skin maceration. This method typically produces the lightest styles of Rosé in both color and aromas. Instead of allowing the juice to soak with the skins to allow color extraction, the only interaction between skins and juice are through the pressing. The very brief contact with skins gives the wines very light color and delicate aromas.

Limited Skin Maceration:

Also known as “LSM”. This method is the most common and widely used for quality Rosé. In this process, the juice is allowed to soak on the skins for a short period of time, generally anywhere from 3 hours to 3 days, to pull color and phenolic compounds before beginning fermentation.