August. For many, triple digit degree days. Time to beat the heat with chilled rosé.
Except, what exactly is rosé? Surprisingly, in the often rigid, rule-ridden world of wine, there is no consensus definition of what is a rosé.
Are not wines divided into red, white, rosé, and amber/orange? It might be nice, but they are not. Turns out, only white wine has a strict definition. At an event in London, renowned rosé specialist and Master of Wine Elizabeth Gabay stated: “I think we should get rid of the terms red, white, rosé and orange wine, because the gradations are not really there.”
When asked if the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) should come up with hard and fast definitions, she replied: “Absolutely not. I love the blurry line.”
There is a generally accepted, but rough, division. White wines are fermented with no or only briefest contact with grape skins. Juice is separated from grape skins before fermentation begins.
OIV also has a definition for white grapes when fermentation occurs during prolonged contact with skins, pulp, seeds, and stems. This is “amber” or “orange” wine, a reference to the wine’s color. There is some term turmoil about “orange” because the wine is not quite orange and it is not made with oranges, but there is agreement that so-named wines are made with a defined method.
When it comes to red wine and rosé, however, the OIV does not have a precise definition. The organization does provide methods for assessing wine colors using spectrophotometry. The OIV states it “has a general definition for wine, but no specific definition for wine colours, which can be described according to the grape varieties and production methods, or by colour determination via analytical methods.”
Specifically on rosé wines, the OIV comments: “For what concerns rosé wine, the main problem is a lack of a clear definition and therefore for many counties this category is included in red wine.”
While the definition may not be precise, there is no question rosé is on the rise. Globally, white wine represents half of all wine produced. Red wine represents 42% and rosé 8%. But, in 2021 (last year for complete numbers), red wine production decreased 25% from its peak in 2004, white wine increased 13% from its low in 2002, and rosé increased 25% from its low in 2001.
Rosé—you know it when you see it.
Last round: Why do scuba divers fall backwards off of the boat? Because if they fell forward, they’d still be in the boat. Wine time.