Rosé Wine Style Guide
Last updated: 9/2023
Applies to: winemakers making a rosé style wine in a variety of styles. This article contains a pdf download with complete process and product recommendations.
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ROSÉ WINE STYLE GUIDE
Winemakers can drive wine style based on key processing decisions and correct product choice. We created these Scott Labs wine style guides to provide both process and product recommendations for helping winemakers achieve their stylistic goals.
Rosé Wines
Learn how we think about "Rosé Wines" to determine if this style guide is right for you:
STYLES OF ROSÉ
Rosé juices can be obtained a few different ways, though the fermentation process itself follows the rules of white winemaking. Major differences in rosé production are related to how the juice is obtained:
- Direct to Press: grapes go direct to press to minimize color extraction from skins.
- Press after Skin Contact: grapes are crushed and held on skins for a small period of time to extract some color and aroma before being pressed.
- Saignée: juices are obtained by bleeding off some juice from a red grape cold soak or fermentation.
COMMON VARIETIES
There are many varieties suitable for rosé production, but common varieties include:
- Pinot noir
- Thiolic (fruity) varieties: Grenache, Mourvèdre
- Terpenic (floral) varieties: Syrah, Merlot
- Zinfandel
UNIQUE WINEMAKING CONSIDERATIONS
Achieving the correct stylistic color extraction
Color often indicates style to a consumer. Achieving the desired color can be challenging as color may be absorbed by lees, bleached by SO2, and removed during heat stabilization (bentonite).
Stabilizing color
Extracted anthocyanins will combine and complex with other compounds in the wine matrix to form more stable complexes that are protected from degradation.
Preserving freshness and aroma
Maintaining vibrant and fresh rosé aromas includes managing acid, preventing oxidation, and choosing a suitable yeast strain for the intended style.
Managing saignée
If choosing to make a saignée rosé, the juice can be quite high in sugar and yield a high alcohol wine.