Rose wines are as diverse as their counterparts, the red and white wines. Just as red or white wines can be made using a range of grapes, Rose wines too can be produced using different grapes like Grenache, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Syrah/Shiraz, and so on. For the rest of the discussion today, we’re going to limit ourselves to Australian Rose wines.
In a nutshell, Rose wines are crafted in a style of white wines. They are made using minimal skin contact, best consumed whilst fresh & young, and served chilled. But as mentioned earlier, they can be made using so many grapes & their combinations, and in so many styles, that to generalise them is just wrong. Depending on the grape variety/varieties used, the region the wine is coming from, and the style being aimed for by the winemaker, the drink would show its unique flavour profile. Let us quickly discuss some of those flavour profiles.
Grenache Wine – If these wines are made from Grenache grapes they usually come from the world-renowned Barossa Valley region. The wine would then flaunt a light red colour and show summer berry characters, especially strawberries. They are lightly sweet on the palate and vibrant in style.
Cabernet Sauvignon – Rose wines produced using Cab Sauv grapes often come from Western Australia or Adelaide Hills. They are deep ruby red in colour and have a more pronounced acidity since they aren’t usually matured in oak. The flavours are rather similar to what one finds in red wine. The wines are lighter and sweeter in comparison to the average Rose wines. On the other hand, ones from Adelaide Hills are drier.
Pinot Noir Rose – Rose wines crafted using Pinot Noir grapes come from Adelaide Hills and Yarra Valley. These wines offer rounded fruit characters, such as watermelon, strawberries and raspberries. They flaunt a delicately fruity flavour profile. Yarra Valley produces excellent sparkling Rose wines too.
Which one did you like the most? Do you have any other ideas about these wines? Make sure to share them with us right here. For now, the next time you think about these delicious wines, you can be sure that they are as diverse as red or white wines. There is a whole world of Rose wines waiting to be explored out there! Cheers!
