Still Rosé Wines
England and Wales produce dry rosés that can offer a refreshing alternative to some of the better-known summer selections. They come in a range of shades of pink. Increasingly, the trend in English and Welsh is towards the dry, pale style of rosé.
Britain is capable of producing an appealing and fruity alternative to the ever-popular Provence rosé. There are also plenty of softer, off-dry styles on the market that have a refreshing mouthfeel when drunk young.
Grape varieties
Pinot Noir
An increasingly popular stye of rosé are those wines produced using 100% Pinot Noir, or a proportion of Pinot Noir, lending elegance and complexity to the wines, displaying strawberry and other red berry fruit characteristics
Varietal blends
Blending white and red varieties to make rosé is commonplace and achieves the colour, flavour and freshness that you expect.
Production
Nearly all rosé wines are fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve freshness and fruit aromas – the aim is to produce a wine that is ready to be drunk young, although the clean, zingy acidity you will find in a young rosé means that it likely to stay fresh for a further 12 months.
Colour is dependent on the length of time the red grape skins are kept in contact with the juice. Some of the lightest coloured rosés are made by ‘direct pressing’. The grapes are either whole-bunch pressed or destemmed (and sometimes crushed) and immediately pressed. The maceration time (the time the skins are left in contact with the juice) is minimal, resulting in a very pale pink wine. Other rosés are made by the ‘saignée’ method, where the colour ‘bleeds’ into the juice, which is drawn off at the optimum time to give the ideal hue in the finished wine. The increased maceration time can give rosés made using this method a greater depth of colour and more structure.
Food and wine matching
Our rosés are ideal to drink on their own and should be served lightly chilled. Ideal accompaniments include canapés, smoked salmon or goat’s cheese, or just peanuts! Alfresco meals of salad, cold meats and fish also provide the perfect pairing – hopefully accompanied with some good weather!
Rosés that are more off-dry pair well with salmon and seafood dishes or even lightly spiced foods.