Making Rosé Wine: Tips from the Pros

For too long, rosé remained cast under the shadow of overly sweet and one-dimensional White Zinfandels. But the surge of popularity in North America has removed the myth that rosé wines are similar in character to the mass-produced White Zins. Learn how to craft your own rosé, whether starting from fresh grapes or from juice, in order to nail the color and aromatics you are looking to achieve. Winemaker: Earl Ault, Cedar Mountain Winery, Livermore Valley, California. There are several ways people make pink wine from red grapes. One way is the so-called Blanc de Noir method where a winemaker will whole cluster press, cold ferment, and take a slight blush from the limited skin contact. Winemakers could also crush, cold-soak for color, then press to tank. This adds a step that is avoided in method one, but makes for a richer blush wine. If you are making a red wine to start with (Pinot Noir for example) some producers draw off pink juice after soaking, the so-called Saignée method. The remainder of the must is fermented red for another