Rosé Wines
5 stylesFrom the pale pink of Provence to the strawberry of Navarra and the violet pink of Utiel-Requena: five rosés, each with the color its own rules describe.
Rosé takes its color from a short contact between the juice and the skins of red grapes, or by saignée, bleeding juice off a red-wine tank. In the EU, blending white and red wine may not produce a rosé among wines without a designation of origin; Champagne rosé may be made that way because its rules allow it. Color phrases come from each appellation's rules; the exact tones are approximations.
Côtes de Provence Rosé
France · Côtes de Provence
The pale style. The rules of the appellation describe its rosés with a «robe rose pâle»; in 2009 they were 89 % of its production.
Made by saignée, skin maceration, draining or direct pressing: a brief contact with the skins gives little color.
Provence · rim
The rim, the thin edge of the wine in a tilted glass, where the tint shows first: very pale pink.
Material: Côtes de Provence Rosé in a glass, rim
RGB(246, 220, 203)
Provence · hue
The main hue, between rim and core: the color the wine is named by.
Material: Côtes de Provence Rosé in a glass, hue
RGB(242, 196, 174)
Provence · core
The core, the deepest point at the center of the glass: pale salmon.
Material: Côtes de Provence Rosé in a glass, core
RGB(230, 168, 144)
Provence · highlight
The highlight: the lightest tone, where light passes through the wine and catches the glass.
Material: Côtes de Provence Rosé in a glass, highlight
RGB(251, 237, 227)
Cigales Rosé
Spain · Cigales
Its official specification ranges from purplish pink, strawberry pink or salmon pink to onion skin, and it allows the traditional word clarete.
Shown here at the salmon and onion-skin end of that range.
Cigales · rim
The rim, the thin edge of the wine in a tilted glass, where the tint shows first: onion skin.
Material: Cigales Rosé in a glass, rim
RGB(235, 176, 142)
Cigales · hue
The main hue, between rim and core: the color the wine is named by.
Material: Cigales Rosé in a glass, hue
RGB(224, 144, 111)
Cigales · core
The core, the deepest point at the center of the glass: salmon pink.
Material: Cigales Rosé in a glass, core
RGB(198, 111, 82)
Cigales · highlight
The highlight: the lightest tone, where light passes through the wine and catches the glass.
Material: Cigales Rosé in a glass, highlight
RGB(246, 211, 189)
Rioja Rosado
Spain · Rioja
The Rioja rules describe a young rosado as «fresa con ribetes frambuesa»: strawberry with raspberry rims, bright and clean.
At least 25 % of its grapes must be Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Graciano, Mazuelo or Maturana Tinta.
Rioja · rim
The rim, the thin edge of the wine in a tilted glass, where the tint shows first: raspberry.
Material: Rioja Rosado in a glass, rim
RGB(224, 96, 126)
Rioja · hue
The main hue, between rim and core: the color the wine is named by.
Material: Rioja Rosado in a glass, hue
RGB(232, 121, 138)
Rioja · core
The core, the deepest point at the center of the glass: strawberry.
Material: Rioja Rosado in a glass, core
RGB(201, 71, 99)
Rioja · highlight
The highlight: the lightest tone, where light passes through the wine and catches the glass.
Material: Rioja Rosado in a glass, highlight
RGB(245, 179, 188)
Utiel-Requena Rosé
Spain · Utiel-Requena
The rules describe rosés from violet pink to orange pink; in those made from Bobal, strawberry aromas dominate.
Its traditional method adds a fresh load of crushed grapes onto the solids of the first must, giving a rosé of high color intensity. Shown here at the violet end.
Utiel-Requena · rim
The rim, the thin edge of the wine in a tilted glass, where the tint shows first: violet pink.
Material: Utiel-Requena Rosé in a glass, rim
RGB(216, 106, 158)
Utiel-Requena · hue
The main hue, between rim and core: the color the wine is named by.
Material: Utiel-Requena Rosé in a glass, hue
RGB(210, 80, 138)
Utiel-Requena · core
The core, the deepest point at the center of the glass: deep magenta pink.
Material: Utiel-Requena Rosé in a glass, core
RGB(168, 50, 110)
Utiel-Requena · highlight
The highlight: the lightest tone, where light passes through the wine and catches the glass.
Material: Utiel-Requena Rosé in a glass, highlight
RGB(239, 176, 204)
Designations of origin, traditional terms, grape varieties and regions are named here to describe the color of each wine. This content is independent: no winery or regulatory council has sponsored or reviewed it.