Rosé wine
/roʊˈzeɪ waɪn/
Rosé wine is a style of wine made mainly from red (black-skinned) grapes in which the juice has only brief contact with the skins, producing a pink to light red color and generally lighter tannins and body than red wine. It can be dry, off-dry, or sweet, and may be still, sparkling, or semi-sparkling.
Examples
- Ordering a chilled Provence rosé to serve with grilled fish and salad on a summer evening.
- Choosing a dry Pinot Noir rosé as a versatile option for a mixed menu of charcuterie, roasted vegetables, and chicken.
- Pouring rosé Champagne as an aperitif for a celebration, pairing its pink color and lively bubbles with canapés.
Etymology
The term “rosé” is French for “pink” or “pink-colored,” from the French adjective “rosé,” which derives from “rose” (the flower and the color). “Rose” comes from Latin “rosa,” likely of Mediterranean or Iranian origin. In wine, the phrase “vin rosé” (pink wine) appears in French sources by the 17th–18th centuries, though lightly colored wines were already made in antiquity in Greece and Rome. The modern international use of the French word “rosé” spread from France—especially Provence and other southern regions—during the 19th and 20th centuries, and is now widely adopted in many languages as the standard marketing term for pink wines.