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a rosé by any other name
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osé wine finds a special home in the Provence region of France, where over 85% of wine production is rosé. There, it is usually made using two methods; skin maceration process and direct press. The maceration process leaves the clear juice from red grapes in contact with the red skins for a limited time. This soaking draws color from the skins. The length of time in skin contact, and therefore the intensity of color, is usually 2 to 20 hours and decided
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by the winemaker. The direct press method tends to produce a lighter color rosé and is the traditional method for production in Provence. Grapes are slowly pressed to extract a delicate color from the skins into the juice. If you venture into the France section of your local wine shop looking for a rosé, then you will most likely find a bottle from Provence. You may find a variety of shades of pink, but you will always find them fresh and fruity on the palate. Most often, you will think they
are somewhat sweet. But, these beautiful and refreshing wines tend to be on the dry side with a fruit forwardness that simply reminds the drinker of something sweet. Tavel is a region in France that is exclusive to rosé. These aren’t your “foo foo pink” wines, though. Tavel is the wolf in sheep’s clothing of rosé. Usually higher in alcohol and deep, darker pink, Tavel rosé is a great wine pairing with food. Think light, red wine pairings
