Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Judge a Rosé By Its Color

There are a lot of misconceptions out there about rosé: It’s made from pink grapes; it’s produced by blending both red and white wine; it’s all cheap. One of the biggest misconceptions about rosé, however, is that the shade of the wine itself dictates how sweet or dry it is.

This debate seemingly came to a head in 2022, when lifestyle publication Real Simple posted a “wine tip” on Instagram suggesting that readers “always buy the rosé that is lightest in color.” The advice was guided by the belief that lighter rosé is drier and crispier, while darker rosés deliver sweeter, juicier flavors. Unfortunately this tip was misguided (which followers were very quick to point out in the comments). It is not necessarily true that a wine’s hue reflects its flavor profile, and one should never assume that simply because a rosé is dark in color that it will be sweet or overpowering on the palate. The real wine tip? Drinkers should be careful to not judge a rosé by its color.

The assumption that a rosé’s shade is tied to its flavor is arguably because of White Zinfandel in America. Almost Barbie-pink in color, White Zinfandel arrived a few decades before rosé became popular, and was really the only reference point for many U.S. consumers when it came to identifying a flavor profile. And as White Zinfandel tends to be sweeter, many dark-colored rosés are approached with some serious trepidation.

But not all dark rosés taste even remotely like White Zinfandel — in fact, most don’t. Just look at the bottles coming out of Tavel, an AOC in France’s Southern Rhône. Tavel is one of the only appellations in France solely committed to rosé production, and the deep pink wines — typically made from a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, or Mourvèdre — are characterized by their peppery red fruit flavors. A full-bodied wine, Tavel typically has a dry, lingering finish with no sweetness to be found.

The same philosophy can be applied to light-colored rosé: A wine can be pale and still deliver a rich, full-bodied drinking experience. Bottles hailing from Bandol — a small sub-region of Provence — can sometimes present relatively light in color, but don’t let that fool you. Predominantly made from a blend of Mourvédre, Grenache, and Cinsault, Bandol rosés are juicy, complex, and can typically age for several years, something that more delicate rosés are not capable of.

To get a better sense of what a rosé will taste like, check the label to see what grapes the wine is produced from. Rosés made from grapes like Muscat, or those described as White Merlot or White Zinfandel, will tend to be sweet. On the flip side, rosés made from grapes like Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, in addition to varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, or Tempranillo, tend to be drier regardless of whether the resulting wine is light or dark in color.

So the next time you find yourself wandering through the aisles of your favorite wine shop looking for a dry rosé, resist the temptation to assume all the deep pink options are sweet. You might just be walking right past your new favorite bottle.

The article Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Judge a Rosé By Its Color appeared first on VinePair.