Rosé wine, as I observed in last week’s free edition, is often seen as a seasonal wine, tasty but trivial: It’s summer, it’s hot, let’s knock back a glass of cheap rosé … with emphasis on the “cheap.”
Rosé is popular, at least in hot weather, because it’s typically simple and refreshing. It’s relatively inexpensive, and it’s less expensive still to make. It doesn’t require the most costly grapes, because, after all, the flavor-bearing grape skins are removed from the juice before they’ve had time to impart much color … or flavor either.
Rosé is quick and relatively simple to make, too. It doesn’t require long fermentation or aging, so it doesn’t mount up the winery’s labor or inventory costs. The grapes come in, the wine is made quickly, and off it goes to market within a year of the vintage, and cash flow promptly follows. What’s not to like? As long as no one is looking for serious wine. …
Support The 30 Second Wine Advisor with your paid-tier subscription. For $5 per month or $50 for a year (a 17% saving), you’ll receive additional wine notes funded by your subscriptions, gain quick direct access for wine-related questions, and receive other benefits to come.
