Bayonne, NJ, JUNE 25, 2018 – Rosé wine is a summertime favorite, and with good reason: it’s light, cool, and delicious with everything from grilled meat to fruit to ice cream. So how do you make wine blush?
It sounds like the beginning of a corny joke, but the answer is actually fairly scientific and a little bit surprising.
“You’d think that pink wine is a blend of red and white, but that’s not usually the case,” explains Gabriel Geller, Vice President of Public Relations for The Royal Wine Corp. “There are two main ways to produce rosé wine, and in both cases they’re made from grapes with dark skin.”
The first method is known as maceration. After the red or black grapes are pressed, the skins macerate in the juice for anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, until the desired color is released.
The second method is called saignée, which is French for “bleeding.” The red or black grape skins are pressed with the skins, producing a slightly pink-colored juice. This juice is fermented into wine that will become a rosé.
Either way, the results can be fruity, slightly sweet, or very dry – and all pair beautifully with a poolside snack or a backyard barbecue.
Geller, who is also a wine blogger, recently recommended some newly-released bottlings to chill and enjoy this summer. Whether you serve rosé or Riesling, sparkling or red, any of these winners will make you blush with pride.
Herzog Lineage Rosé 2017 (msrp $19.99) blends 12 grape varieties from the Herzog’s family’s Prince Vineyard in California. It is made by the saignée method and features aromas and flavors of ripe strawberries, papaya, and pomegranate seeds. This unique rosé should be served very cold, with a fruit salad or even a tuna tartar.
Tabor Adama Barbera Rosé 2017 (msrp $21.99) is made by the skin maceration process. Barbera is a grape variety that originated in Italy. It is characterized by red berry and cherry aromas and high acidity. Israeli producer Tabor showcases these attributes in a flavorful, light-bodied wine with a nice balance between the fruity notes and the acidity
Pacifica Riesling 2017 (msrp $17.99) is substantial, complex, and can even mature for a few years. Pacifica is an estate winery located on the border between the states of Washington and Oregon, and newly released Riesling is a home run. With its perfect, harmonious balance between lush fruit, earthy minerals, and mouth-watering acidity, this affordable wine can accompany a wide array of foods, from fish and chips, spicy Thai red curry, and hot chicken wings to veal schnitzel and apple strudel.
Drappier Brut Nature (msrp $59.99) is one remarkable Champagne, says Geller. This elegant, medium-bodied, very dry sparkling wine goes great with most foods and is as nice to look at as it is to drink. It has vibrant bubbles and a harmonious texture, carrying notes of apple, pear, roasted hazelnuts, crushed rocks, and lime zest, with high acidity and a touch of crème fraîche lingering on the long finish.
Château Trijet 2017 (msrp $12.99) is one of the many affordable Bordeaux wines that provide great pleasure. It is light to medium in body, offering the same restrained profile of fruit and earth typically associated with its higher-priced Bordeaux cousins. It is eminently enjoyable now but has the potential to develop some tertiary aromas with a few years of aging. It is also made with organically grown grapes. This red would be perfect with a nice flatiron steak or grilled chicken breast.
About Royal Wine/Kedem
Founded in 1848, Royal Wine Corp. has been owned and operated in the United States by the Herzog family, whose winemaking roots go back eight generations to its origin in Czechoslovakia.
Today, Royal Wine’s portfolio of domestic and international wines range from traditional wine producing regions of France, Italy and Spain, as well as Israel, New Zealand and Argentina.
Additionally, Royal Wine Corp.’s spirit and liqueur portfolio offer some of the most sought-after scotches, bourbons, tequilas and vodkas as well as hard to find specialty items such as flavored brandies and liqueurs.
