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Mythbusters 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Rosé

By Brooke Sager

Brooke Sager is a freelance writer “fueled by 9am coffee and 4:58pm wine” (cheers to that!), whose work can be found in Thrillist, Cosmopolitan, MSN, and more. In honor of National Rosé Day this Saturday, June 8, Brooke is debunking five common myths associated with rosé. Pour a glass and settle in for a long and glorious rosé season!

Summertime is almost here, and you know what that means: you can’t scroll through Instagram without viewing a handful of photos captioned #drinkpink. That’s because over the last few years, rosé wine has experienced a boom in popularity. According to Nielsen consumer research (2019), rosé wine has continued to experience double digit growth across all price points.

But rosé has actually been around and enjoyed for centuries—from the ancient Greeks and Romans, to the French who have sipped pink wine on the Riviera way before it was trendy.

Despite its large fan following, rosé remains one of the most misunderstood wines out there. So before you get to drinking pink this summer, we’re here to bust five of the biggest myths that you’ve probably heard through the grapevine about rosé.

Myth: The darker the pink, the sweeter the wine

Busted! Simply put, a wine’s color does not correlate with its sweetness at all—meaning, not all dark pink wines are sweet, and not all pale pink wines are dry.

Rosé gets its shade of pink from how long the juice stayed in contact with the grape skin (or if the grapes had a thicker skin). Because deeper-hued rosés spent more time touching the skins, the resulting wine may be richer, fruiter and fuller-bodied—but as with any wine, sweetness comes from the residual sugar levels created during fermentation.

Myth: Rosé is a blend of red and white grapes

Busted! While pink wine can be made with many different grape varietals, there are three primary methods for producing rosé—none of which involve mixing red and white grapes during maceration (aka, resting):

Short Maceration: By far the most common method, red grapes are lightly crushed and macerated, then the skins are left in contact with the juice for a designated period of time.

Saignée: When making a red wine, some of the juice during the early stages is separated out then fermented separately to create rosé.

Blending: Red and white wine are blended; this is sometimes done to create sparkling rosés.

Myth: Provencal rosé is the only kind worth drinking

Busted! That signature bone-dry rosé hailing from Provence, France (usually made with Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and/or Syrah) is so refreshing on a hot summer day—we won’t argue there. But don’t pigeonhole yourself in the South of France, because great rosé can come from all around the world. Central France’s Loire Valley, for instance, makes bright, mineral-driven rosé, thanks to its cooler climate and limestone soils. Try Magic Door “La Belle En Rose” Rosé of Pinot Noir if you like berry aromas and bright acidity in your wine.

Myth: Rosé is only for summertime

Busted! Summer has been unofficially dubbed “rosé season,” mostly thanks to social media. And yes, enjoying a crisp glass of rosé by the pool in July is very delightful—but don’t limit yourself to only enjoying pink wine between Memorial Day and Labor Day!

Rosé comes in all different colors, textures, flavors and complexities, meaning there is a rosé out there for every season and reason. For instance, 90+ Cellars Lot 49 Sparkling Rosé from Italy is the perfect bubbly for celebrations, parties and the holiday season.

#Roséallday is a thing of the past—we’re lobbying for #Roséallyear!

Myth: Rosé doesn’t pair well with food

Busted! Many people sip rosé solely as an aperitif, but pink wine definitely deserves a spot at your dinner table. It pairs well with so much more than just pool floats and ’gram photos!

Again, rosé is a very broad category, so your wine pairing and flavor palate depends on the menu. A light and dry rosé (try: 90+ Cellars Reserve Lot 132 Rosé) perfectly complements summertime dishes like fatty salmon, lobster or a salad topped with tangy goat cheese and watermelon. For a heartier meal, full-bodied rosés have the oomph to stand up to the robust flavors in BBQ, burgers or zippy Thai cuisine. And on the holidays, rosé bubbly actually makes an exquisite pairing with Thanksgiving turkey and Easter lamb.

 

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Client: Ninety Plus Cellars
Date: November 13, 2020
Service: Copywriter