12 SAVOUR MANITOBA | SUMMER 24
Rosé cont.
is begs the questions: what is it
that sets these styles apart, and what
makes them pink? e obvious
assumption to the latter is that rosés
are a blend of white and red wines.
Admittedly, some wine regions such
as South Africa or the Champagne
region are authorized to blend red
and white to achieve the colour.
Most other appellations, however,
rely on the wine-making process for
colour extraction.
Like their red wine counterparts,
rosés' colour is determined by the
length of time the juice spends on
the skins. It is the skins of the grape
that gives the wine its colour. A red
wine would see the juice in contact
with the skins for about two to
three weeks — a long enough
time to extract all the colour and
become a deep, bold, red wine.
If you want to make a rosé, you
simply reduce the amount of time
the juice sits on the skins. For a
lighter style rosé, like the famous
Provence style, sometimes there is
only a few hours of skin contact.
Rosés that are deeper and more
cherry-coloured, such as Grenache
rosé from Spain, probably have a
few days of skin contact. e grape
variety being used, and the thickness
of its skins, also plays a role — but
that is a tale for another day.
Pair lighter dishes
like a fresh summer
salad with feta and
grilled peaches with
a lighter rosé, such
as a Pinot Noir rosé.
U.S.A.
Alc 13.2%
ERATH PINOT
NOIR ROSÉ
Fragrant wafts of guava,
stone-fruit and citrus. On
the palate apricot nectar,
melon, peaches and
golden raisins.
