Rosé Wine Production - the Saignée Method

Most people love a glass or two of rosé wine during the summer and in recent years, rosé wine has been a great seller both in shops and at restaurants. But have you ever wondered how rosé wines get their blush colour?

One of the most well-known methods for making rosé is saignée. The weight of the grapes piled on top of one another in the fermenting tank causes the grapes to split open, releasing the juice. The pigments in the grape skins are in contact with the grape juice, and they slowly turn the juice red, but first pink / blush.

The winemaker will decide to remove some of the juice from the vat when a specified amount of time has passed. The separated pink juice is then fermented without additional colour extraction. Rosés made with the saignée technique frequently have a dark hue and can have additional notes of dark fruits like black cherry, blackberry, and notes of eucalyptus.

Renowned in Champagne (France) for making rosé Champagne, they start by making a white wine from the grape type of their choice, often Chardonnay, and then add a little amount of still red wine created from Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier, this is called the blending method. This process enhances flavors on an olfactory and gustatory level. Red wine has notes of red cherry, raspberry, and strawberry, while Chardonnay has notes of apple, pear, and lemon.

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Berlin Staff Writer
Charlène Grel