More to pink than you think
Continuing from our pre-Valentine’s Day article ‘Think pink this Valentine’s’, here’s more to know of rosé wine than you think.
Rosé is a type of wine made from red wine grapes, produced in a similar manner to red wine, but with reduced time fermenting with grape skins. This reduced skin contact gives rosé a pink hue and lighter flavour than that of red wine.
The flavours lean on the fruity side, so you can expect notes of strawberry, citrus, melon, raspberry, cherry, and fresh flowers. Even though rosé wines tend to the lighter side, they still offer a lovely range of sweet to savoury to dry.
Sweet or dry
Rosé wines can be anywhere from syrupy sweet to bone dry. Older Rosé varieties produced in France and Spain will generally be quite dry, while newer Rosé wines will often have more sweetness.
A traditional rosé wine is more dry, while the bubbly, sparkling Champagne is much sweeter.
Red and white wines have the highest alcohol content. Rosé tends to hover in the middle, while sparkling wine usually have the least. Rosé wine has an average alcohol content of 12% ABV.
A glass of dry wine could have 0-6 calories worth of sugar, while rosé may have 21 to 72 calories of sugar.
Rosé vs red
When it comes to the choice between red wine, white wine, and rosé wine, rosé wine is the healthier choice. Red white and rosé wine do have similar benefits, as they are made with the same grapes, but it is rosé wine that is the better choice. This is because rosé wine contains more antioxidants.
Serving
For the most part, the style of rosé wine is designed to be consumed young to show off its freshness and vibrancy.
Like white wine, rosé is best served in a medium-sized glass so that the fresh and fruity characteristics gather towards the top.
Serve it at a similar temperature to aromatic whites: between 8°C and 10°C / 46°F and 50°F. This delicious temperature will perfectly suit a warm afternoon in the sun but won’t be so cold to numb all the lively flavours.
Rosé’s tendency to be consumed young is also why it doesn’t necessarily benefit from decanting. Using a decanter is an elegant way to serve wine and will add style to any setting, but there isn’t as much to gain from aerating a young rosé as there is a red. Young red wines are packed with tannins which help them age gracefully and aerating them through decanting helps to speed this up.
Adding ice
Some people enjoy a glass of wine quickly and prefer to have it ice cold. Ice in white, rosé, and red wines will dilute the taste if the cubes are allowed to melt. However, if you drink the wine before the ice melts, you have the ultimate ice-cold glass of wine which is refreshing and delicious.
With food
The majority of modern rosé across the world is made in a dry style: vibrant, crisp and fresh.
Generally speaking, wines coming from Old World regions (predominantly Europe) are more mineral. This structured style is very well suited to chicken salads, vegetable dishes, tangy or salty cheese like goats’ cheese, and raw or grilled seafood.
Rosé from the New World regions (California, Australia) tend to be more fruit-driven. They offer richer, riper fruit made from wine varieties with thicker, more tannic skins, balancing sweetness with structure. They are perfect with spicy dishes or barbequed meat, which pack a bit more of a punch and suit a wine with a fuller body.
Check out aeclub.com.my for its fine selection of rosé wines.
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