By Rebecca Ward 
Many wine drinkers and some wine experts dismiss pink wines as sweet and frivolous… not real wine. This is a shame. They’re under-appreciated because they are misunderstood. Rescu. explains the many benefits of thinking pink.
Stuck between great red wines and great white wines, Rosé has never quite been able to break free. However, this appears to be changing. Over the past few years, Rosé wines have been gaining more popularity and respect.
The reasons for this are obvious. Rosé is fun, easy to drink and unpretentious. It is also extremely versatile, often inexpensive and is a perfect wine to enjoy with friends, family, or on social occasions.
What is Rosé?
Rosé Wine, or blush wine, is a pink-coloured table wine made from red grapes whose skins are typically removed after the start of fermentation.
The flavours of Rosé wines tend to be more subtle versions of their red wine varietal counterparts. The fruit expectations lean towards strawberry, cherry, and raspberry with some citrus and watermelon flavours presenting on a regular basis.
Excellent Rosé wines come from areas in Portugal, France, Spain, Canada, Australia and the USA.
How does it get its colour?
The colour of a Rosé will be determined by the grapes used to make it.
The classic way to make Rosé is by the Saignée (pronounced ‘sonyay’) method, which requires the skins of crushed red grapes to be in contact with the juice for just long enough to shade the wine pink.
Dry or Sweet?
Whilst worldwide, dry Rosé wine is preferable to sweet, both have their advantages. Sweet, fruity Rosé is great by itself or in a cocktail, whereas, dry Rosé can be paired with almost anything.
Still or Sparkling?
Sparkling Rosé is one of the stars of the Rosé wine family. It is light, fun and a great way to start a meal. To achieve the bubbles, the ‘Charmat’ method is usually used. This method forces the second fermentation to happen in a large stainless steel tank prior to bottling.
When to drink Pink?
Rosés are perfect for spring and summer, as they are served chilled and can be a refreshing accompaniment to a variety of warm weather dishes ranging from canapés to salads, chicken to ham and even desserts and chocolates.
So, next time you are choosing a wine and in the mood for some fun, why not look at the world through Rosé coloured glasses.
For a delicious dessert that uses Rosé wine, click here.
