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Real rosé champagne (Champagne Rosé) is made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier varieties in the Champagne region, and acquires its characteristic color due to the short contact of the must with the grape skins. Average fortress – 10-13% vol.
As in the case of traditional white champagne, there are vintage (they are also millesime, that is, made from berries of the same harvest) and non-vintage varieties. The first option, of course, is more expensive, especially if the year turned out to be successful and it is more profitable for the manufacturer to release more popular white brands than to deal with rose champagne.
Production technology
Most often, the saignee (“bleeding”) method is used for the production of rosé sparkling wines: dark grape varieties are pressed into the pulp, and then the juice is allowed to drain unhindered. The whole process takes about two hours – long enough for the must to turn pinkish, but not red wine.
The birthplace of sparkling roses is the French province of Provence. Local craftsmen learned how to make such drinks several centuries ago. At first, wine had a natural content of carbon dioxide, but with the advent of the technology of adding carbon dioxide to the bottle, they began to saturate it artificially with gas.
Sometimes, in order to get the desired pink hue, a little red still Pinot Noir from the same region (about 15% of the total) is simply added to white champagne. For example, if a winemaker received an urgent order for rosé champagne, and there is no required quantity in the cellars, this way you can quickly and elegantly get out of the situation. Champagne is the only wine region where this is officially allowed.
In terms of production, pink champagne is significantly inferior to other varieties. In the structure of sparkling wines, it occupies only 1% of the volume.
Consumer characteristics
Pinot Noir gives pink champagne notes of red fruits, makes the wine more full-bodied, full-bodied and “complex” than its white counterparts. Also in the bouquet you can distinguish a yeasty flavor.
Most often, rose champagne is dry – Sec, Brut, Extra Brut.
Champagne Rosé is not the only French sparkling rosé, there are other brands as well. For example, sweet sparkling roses are produced in the Loire Valley and in the Bugey Cerdon appellation.
Pink champagne is more expensive than white counterparts – firstly, because of fashion, and secondly, because demand greatly exceeds supply. Famous brands: Laurent-Perrier, Billecart-Salmon, Ruinart, Veuve-Clicquot, Krug, Dom Perignon, Louis Roederer Cristal, Bollinger.
Rosé sparkling wines from other countries
As in the case of white sparkling, Champagne is perhaps the best, but not the only representative of this type. Other well-known brands are Schramsberg, Chandon California, Ferrari, etc. Pink prosecco, lambrusco and cava are found on the market.
The main difference between rosé sparkling wines and other varieties is the presence of a fresh berry aroma of strawberries, raspberries or wild strawberries. With a long stay in the glass, notes of ginger, peony or pepper appear. In Italian wines, cherry tones can be distinguished, and the Grenache variety gives the drink a lemony aroma.
The production of other rosé sparkling wines may be less regulated than in the Champagne region, using a variety of red varieties rather than just two types of Pinot.
How to drink rose champagne
When choosing pink champagne, it is worth remembering that the label must have the inscription “Rose” on it, and the bottle is made of dark glass.
Rose is a festive drink that is rarely drunk at a regular family dinner. Salmon pate, truffle desserts, baked venison and lobsters are suitable as an appetizer for such exquisite alcohol. The optimum serving temperature for rose champagne is 10-12 °C.