While rosé wine has long been considered a wine of lower quality than red wines or white wines, it is now taking its revenge by experiencing meteoric growth. Attracting more and more wine lovers, rosé wines are now more sophisticated, but also more varied. It is therefore difficult to make a choice among the numerous vintages. To help you, here are some tips for choosing your rosé wine .
Choosing a rosé wine: getting rid of preconceived ideas
The first thing to do when you want to select a good bottle of rosé is to get rid of popular beliefs. Indeed, rosés have long suffered an unjustified reputation, classifying them as wines of lower quality. Some even claimed they were the result of mixing red and white wine. Nothing could be further from the truth, because the production of rosé requires great expertise and winemakers use complex and precise manufacturing processes.
Today, this wine made from black grapes with white juice gains the trust and respect of wine consumers, becoming the darling of summer aperitifs , barbecue evenings, but also gourmet meals.
5 tips for choosing your rosé wines
If you are having trouble choosing between several bottles of rosé, our 5 tips should help you see more clearly.
Observe the color of the wine
To select the best rosés , you can start by analyzing the color of the wine. Although color is not really a guarantee of quality, it can still give you information about the characteristics of the wine. This is why rosé bottles are always transparent.
A light-colored rosé wine , with a pretty pale pink color, often indicates the presence of red fruit aromas (cherry, strawberry, redcurrant, etc.) and a rather light wine. Conversely, a dark color indicates a wine with more pronounced and powerful black fruit aromas (blackberry, red fruit jam, etc.).
Generally, rosé with dark shades of color is a rosé de saignée which has undergone longer maceration, the aromas are therefore more intense.
Know the influence of grape varieties on aromas
Grape varieties, like color, are not guarantees of quality, but interesting indicators of the specificities of a rosé. Thus, the black and white grape varieties used to make rosé wine, and grown in the south of France (Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache Noir, etc.), generally offer more powerful rosé wines, with a higher sugar content. and aromas of citrus and exotic fruits. This is the case, for example, of the excellent Grande Cuvée 2021 from Château de Berne.
The grape varieties grown in the rest of France (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, etc.) produce lighter and softer wines, with notes of red fruits.
Recognizing good vintages of rosé wines
The vintage of a wine can provide information on the specificities of the rosé. Indeed, warm years, like 2019 or 2020, made it possible to harvest grapes bursting with sugar. The wines therefore have an interesting aromatic palette, and the quantity of sugar allowed quality alcoholic fermentation.
But when it comes to rosé, the vintage also allows you to know the best time to open a good bottle. Generally speaking, a rosé wine is drunk young (within 2 - 3 years), especially if you like freshness, floral and fruity notes. Rosé wines for aging remain rare, and reserved for experienced amateurs.
Check the alcohol content of each bottle of rosé
A pretty pink bottle catches your eye, but you don't really like high-alcohol wines? Remember to look at the label to check the alcohol content . This obligatory mention will help you choose according to your tastes, but also according to the moment of tasting.
If you plan to drink rosé as an aperitif, or by the pool, opt for a light wine , like the French wine La Petite des Bertrands . If your bottle of rosé wine is intended to accompany a meal, you can opt for a more alcoholic rosé , such as the IGP Pays d'Oc Puech Haut Argali .
Good to know: a rosé wine generally has an alcohol content of between 12% and 14%.
Choose your rosé based on how you are going to taste it
If there is one criterion to take into account when choosing good bottles of rosé, it is the food and wine pairing . Rosé lovers always advise selecting the wine based on what it will accompany.
A rosé wine to drink alone
With the summer heat, the consumption of rosé wine explodes. It must be said that this elegant drink is particularly thirst-quenching and refreshing. But, if you want to open a good bottle to drink by the pool or in your deckchair, it is better to be careful to choose a type of light wine, which will not go to your head.
In this case, opt for light rosés , such as the PUR AOP Côtes de Provence vintage from Château de Berne, which is best enjoyed chilled, between 10 and 12°C.
A rosé wine for your aperitifs
While waiting for the grill to cook, time for an aperitif! Rosé wine is undoubtedly the star of this convivial moment, and will delight you before the meal. It is then advisable to uncork a bottle of fruity, low-tannin rosé , with light aromas, in order to highlight the delicacies of the aperitif , without saturating the taste buds for the rest of the meal.
And to make the moment even more festive and convivial, why not opt for the Harlot sparkling rosé brut ?
A rosé wine for your meal
Are the grills ready? You can come to the table. Here again, rosé has its place, and you can choose a different vintage depending on the dishes you are going to serve. In any case, it will be more powerful and complex than as an aperitif, with more pronounced fruity notes.
What do you think of the Grande Récolte 2022 vintage from Domaine de Berne , with its notes of citrus and exotic fruits, to accompany your meal?
And to end on a sweet note, the dessert can be accompanied by a rosé wine with a higher sugar content , such as a Cabernet d'Anjou, for example.
You now know all the secrets to choosing a rosé wine . Visit our online store to discover the variety of our vintages and treat yourself all year round.
