Learn About Rosé Wine - Day 18

Rose all day? Day 18 that is. Put on your rose colored glasses and pour yourself something pink because today we are learning all about rose. Welcome back to Divino Wine School. I'm Annie Shapiro certified sommelier and today is day 18 all about rose. Now depending on where you are in the world it may not feel like a rose kind of day which is all the more reason to drink one. Who's with me? Where in the world are you anyway? Let me know in the comments where you're watching from. I'm shooting in Kansas City and we are lucky enough to have ripe strawberries, one of the scent notes I brought for this lesson, along with sea salt and Mediterranean herbs, some of the scents you might notice in this rosé de Provence. If you are subscribed or enrolled you might have a bottle of rosé today. Let me know in the comments. I know we're getting close to the end but it's not too late to enroll. Divino Wine School enrollment is good for life. I plan to keep making videos and your comments and questions inspire me. I'll keep working if you keep watching. Rosé was not always cool believe it or not and you still might not think it's cool but it still deserves a lesson. I remember when people used to dismiss rosé as a sweet pink wine they would wrinkle up their noses and scoff at it. This was due in part to the release of Sutter Holmes' White Zinfandel in the late 70s right before I was born. I know I don't look that old but it's really a miracle that I even know how to use the internet which reminds me I have no idea how old you guys are so let me know in the comments. I hope you're at least 21 or just listening or living in a civilized country where the drinking age is over 18. So that year the White Zinfandel came out a little sweeter than usual but the taste for it spread across the nation and until recently people came to associate rosé with a cheap pink sugary drink and then the rosé craze happened. Rosé went from being something nobody wanted to having its own season. Long before we had rosé season, rosé all day, brosé and frosé, rosé was a traditional style of wine making in Europe that made its way across to America. Rosé can be produced in a number of ways. The most common of them is called seigne method and that is French for bleeding off. By draining off some of the freshly crushed juice, winemakers can control the color, aroma, and texture that comes from the skins in the wine making process. The juice that is drained off ranges from a pale pale pale pink to a deeper shade of red depending on how long it had access to the skins. Winemakers can also crush or press the grapes and leave the skins on for as long as they want until they extract the desired amount of color and character for the wine. Blending the juice of red and white grapes before and after fermentation is another way to produce rosé wine. While rosé may have started as an afterthought in the USA, it has definitely grown into a prized and popular style of wine. Throughout many parts of the southern Mediterranean, rosé is the wine of choice to accompany their distinctive cuisine. For example, Provence, France is as famous for its Moroccan inspired seafood dishes as it is for the salmon colored rosé that accompanies them, like this guy. Tasting rosé can be a little bit trickier since the wine making techniques vary so much, but that said the process is the same. The color of rosé can vary considerably from a super super pale pink to a deep magenta. It all depends on how long the grape skins were in contact with The notes of rosé also vary considerably, but some things you can always look for are fresh ripe strawberries or strawberry tops, Mediterranean herbs, sweet spices like cinnamon, red berries, and even a sea salty breeze. The taste of rosé can also vary considerably depending on what grapes are used and where it came from, but you can always look for an initial crispness and brightness, as well as some tingly acidity. You might also get a little bit of heat at the back of your throat from the alcohol. Despite their pale appearance, rosés can pack the heat. You definitely want to drink rosés young. Remember that the polyphenols that come from the skins act as a natural preservative and rosé wines rarely have a lot of contact with the grape skins, so after a couple years these can lose their energy and fall flat on the palate. But never fear, a new rosé comes out each year. Let me know what you thought and what you tasted in the comments. Did you pair your rosé with food, or did you enjoy it on a porch or by a body of water? The swimming pool counts! I'm always curious to hear your wine stories, and if you haven't yet, don't forget to subscribe and enroll. The link is right down there. See you next time!