- Made from red wine grapes, with brief skin contact to extract color and flavor before pressing.
- Can range in color from very pale pink to salmon, copper or orange hues.
- Main grapes used include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese.
- Dry in style, crisp and light-bodied, with medium to high acidity.
- Fruity aromas and flavors of strawberry, watermelon, peach, nectarine and citrus. May have floral notes.
- Little to no oak influence. Meant for drinking young and fresh.
- Main rosé wine regions include Provence in France, Navarra in Spain, Sicily in Italy, California and Oregon in the US.
- Provence style offers benchmark dry, pale pink rosés with minerality from Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvedre grapes.
- Spanish rosados are deeper pink, more robust, with red fruit flavors from Tempranillo, Garnacha and Bobal grapes.
- Italian rosati vary from light cherry to deeply colored and richly fruity styles from Nebbiolo and Sangiovese.
- New World rosés from California and Australia include Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, with bolder fruit.
- Rosé champagne and sparkling rosé wines also exist.
Rosé provides a refreshing, food-friendly style meant for summer drinking. Production method and grape variety influence the flavor profiles. When well-made, rosés offer delightful fruitiness, vibrancy, and drinkability.