We love Rosés.
Americans love Rosés, and they’ve exploded in popularity, becoming the preferred wine of the millennial crowd and making regular appearances on social media sites, #roseallday! Rosés have the fastest-growing sales of any wine category in the U.S. Since production costs are low, they’re good-value wines. This can only be good for wine regions like Virginia since it has so many good Rosés.
Rosé = Pink.
The French word rosé in English means pink. So, let’s call rosé pink wine, then! Well, it may be too late for that. The French got here first. For your information, in Spain, Rosé is called Rosado. In Italy, it’s Rosato, and in Germany, it’s Weissherbst.
The benchmark Rosés.
Today the world’s benchmark Rosés are produced in the south of France, in Provence. With its beautiful Mediterranean climate and rich food, this region accounts for forty percent of France’s best Rosé. The region’s famous Bandol and Tavel appellations produce fine Rosés, using Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Tibouren grapes. The French have many styles, from dry, to sweet, to sparkling.
Rosés and food pairing.
Rosés are very versatile wines that pair well with many foods. In my experience, they go best with salty cured meat, roasted nuts, Brie, and Gruyere cheese. I love them as an appetizer or starter wine at a dinner party, and sparkling Rosés are beautiful dessert wines available in dry to sweet styles.
How do they do it?
Rosés come in various colors, from very pale pink to cranberry-juice red. The amount of color depends on the method of production.
- Rosés can be made by mixing a small percentage of red wine (up to about five percent) with white wine.
- Some Rosé is produced when the first crush or press of the grapes is used, creating fresh, highly transparent, light-colored Rosé.
- You may see the term saignée (pronounced ‘san-yay’) on wine labels. The word means to bleed. This is a method of Rosé production where red wine is bled from a tank at the proper time, and the remaining juice is made into red wine while the bled-off wine is fermented as a Rosé. The color of the wine depends on how long the juice was left in contact with the grape skins.
Our Rosés.
Rosés should be thirst-quenching, crisp, fruity, and refreshing with medium acidity; October One Vineyard’s Rosés are this and more. They are irresistible! These are well-crafted by Walsh Family Wine and express the Bluemont, Virginia terroir where our grapes are grown.
We have one made from a single grape type; this is our 2022 Rosé from Cabernet Sauvignon, and the other is from a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, made using the saignée method, also a 2022 vintage. You can purchase them at our tasting shop at 7 Loudoun Street, Leesburg, Virginia, or online.