The nicest rosé facts

‘I don't drink trash,’ said a snobbish (you know who you are) friend of mine once. His nostrils made an attempt to touch his eyebrows and with his eyes he looked in the direction of where a bottle of rosé was located. Because rosé, that was white mixed with red and thus the liquid variant of stamppot. But that he was doing rosé a huge disservice and also providing incorrect information is proven by these points. And you are going to impress here on the terrace. Oh yes, I am a wine taster, I don't deserve the label connoisseur. That's why I consulted our Burgundy neighbors from the nice food magazine FavorFlav for some facts. As a bonus, they also tipped me their favorites.

Provence

Provence rosé is the crème de la crème of rosé. Recognizable by that beautiful color where salmon pink and mouse gray seem to have tied the knot. Provence is the largest (quality) rosé producer in the world. Annually, over 170 million bottles fly around the world.

Famous Provence wines

Domaines Ott, Miraval (from Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie), Whispering Angel and MiP are well-known names. And that Dutch people make delightful rosé in Provence is proven by AIX and Fleur de l’Amaurigue.

Rosé from outside Provence

Due to the popularity of Provence wines, you might almost forget, but rosé is also widely made in the rest of France. In the Loire for example, where Chinon and Anjou are the most popular rosés. In any case, it is mainly Provence rosé that counts.

Rosé from elsewhere

Rosé can and is made almost everywhere in the world; in well-known wine countries like Italy (rosato) and Spain (rosado), Germany and the USA for example, and lesser-known wine countries like Croatia, Uruguay, Lebanon, and Thailand. As long as there are blue grapes planted.

Grenache

Rosé can be made from different grapes, including grenache, cinsault, mourvèdre, syrah, and cabernet sauvignon. In Provence, the leading role is actually always reserved for grenache.

Skin contact is key

Rosé owes its color to the soaking of the skins, just like red wine, from blue grapes in their own juice. However, the duration of this skin contact is much shorter than with red wine. How long varies per producer – and it results in a range of pink color shades. The longer the skin contact, the more color, and eventually there comes a moment when the wine passes the rosé stage and becomes a red wine.

Blending

Outside Europe (and in Champagne), you can also make rosé by blending white and red wine. But don't mumble such in Provence, where making rosé has almost been elevated to an art form – timing of that skin contact is everything – and randomly mixing red and white wine is considered an insult.

Young is best

Some wines, like my thick, buttery friends from the Bordeaux and Burgundy, only get better (read: more complex) after years of being stored away in a dark cellar. Rosé, on the other hand, with exceptions, is best when they are very young. Crisp fresh and fruity and wonderfully juicy. So open that new bottle right away.

Rosé at the table

The freshness of rosé makes it an excellent food wine. The combination with lamb and a Niçoise salad. is delightful. In any case, tuna, whether from the barbecue or not, goes well with rosé. But tapas dishes are also a good match.

3x editorial favorite

• Fleur de l’Amaurigue Rosé, 2018
  Deliciously fruity with a nice bitterness at the end. Drink well chilled on a hot beach day. A bowl of strawberries and juicy cherries on the side. Mmmm!
• Chateau Musar, Jeune Rosé, 2017
  Rosé from Lebanon. Drink it outside in the shade on a nice day. Accompanying: a table full of spicy mezze. Think of dishes with za’atar and smoked eggplant.
• AIX
  Because it is delicious and handsome and you won't get a hangover from it. And also a piece of Dutch pride in Provence.