What is rosé?
Rosé is a wine made from dark-coloured grape varieties where the skins remain in contact with the juice for a limited time during fermentation, imparting its distinctive pink hue.
Rosé sits between red and white wine in both production method and flavour profile. It is made from the same dark-coloured grape varieties used for reds, such as Pinot Noir or Grenache, but the winemaker removes the grape skins after just hours rather than days. This brief contact between juice and skin is what creates rosé's signature colour, which can range from pale salmon to deeper coral depending on how long the skins remain.
The skin-contact period is the defining technique. Winemakers monitor the colour development continuously and press off the skins once the desired shade is reached, typically after 2 to 20 hours. The longer the contact, the more colour and tannin extract into the wine. Once skins are removed, rosé ferments like white wine, producing wines that are typically dry, crisp, and lower in alcohol than their red counterparts.
In Swan Valley, rosé offers local winemakers a way to produce fresh, food-friendly wines that appeal to warm weather drinking. Many cellar doors feature rosé alongside their core ranges. The style requires precision timing and clean winemaking to maintain the delicate balance of colour, acidity, and fruit flavour that defines quality rosé.