Long hailed as the wine to drink in Provence, French rosé is now wildly popular in the rest of France. Even the texture of the wine varies by vineyard and vintage. The colors range from a very, very pale pink to the darker coral color of Tavel. Some rosés are teeming with the flavors of Provence-traces of wild lavender and thyme may be detected-and some are quite delicate with subtle flavors-I could swear I tasted just a faint hint of banana in a rosé from Château Constantin-Chevalier I had a few summers ago. It is a difficult wine to produce well-it is both art and science-and, with the oldest vineyards in France (as many as 2600 years old!), these wine makers have had a long time to master its production. Within France, the majority of rosés come from Provence.
Let’s not forget that the word itself comes from the French word for pink: rosé. It would not be an exaggeration to say that French rosés define rosé. This is as close to fact as one gets in the world of wine opinion and the majority of rosé wines come from France, about one-third of the rosés produced. (In an upcoming article, I will elaborate on this process, but I hasten to mention here that this is not the way rosé wines are made in other countries-instead, outside of France, wine producers may mix white and red wines, a much less expensive process requiring less skill than the traditional rosé vinification process perfected in Provence.)
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With red wines, the skins and juice remain together for days-creating the deep red color and taste of tannin-whereas with rosé wines, the skin and juice remain together for a matter of hours resulting in the pink color and distinct character prized in that category of wines. But, in contrast to making red wines, the production of rosé wines demands that the skins of the grapes are removed earlier. Rosé wine from France is made from red (or black or purple) grapes-just like the production of red wine (any where in the world). What is known in the United States as “blush” wine typically contains seven times the amount of residual sugar as a rosé from France. Provençal rosés are dry in striking contrast to those yucky sweet white zinfandels-which are never welcome at my table-and they are refreshing.