Rosé all day this summer

Summer is well and truly in full swing and that means it is officially Rosé season!

This refreshing pink wine is the perfect ice-cold drop on a hot day – especially as a thirst quencher if you’re poolside or at the beach.

So, what really is Rosé wine?

Although Rosé is neither a red or a white wine, did you know that it is most commonly made from red wine grapes? Rosé is made when the juice from red grapes is drained off its skins before it becomes too dark. Rosé is made when the juice from red grapes is drained off skins before the colour becomes too dark. The wine picks up its pink colour from the skin of the red grapes, which contain colour pigments called anthocyanins. Different winemaking techniques can also influence the depth of colour.

Fun fact:

Now is probably the right time to debunk the myth that a darker colour of Rosé means it will be a sweeter wine! In actual fact, a darker colour does not mean it will taste sweet. Usually, sweetness will be indicated in the tasting notes on the back label - keep an eye out for Pink Moscato or White Zinfandel if you are looking for a sweeter drop.

So, how is Rosé wine actually made? Whether you're a wine connoisseur or only just beginning to explore the world of Rosé, read on to find out how your favourite summer wine is made.

Method One: Maceration

This is the most common method to make high-quality Rosé in Australia. Up until a few years ago, Australian winemakers made Rosé as an afterthought, whereas nowadays wines are being carefully made from grapes specifically grown to produce Rosé.

Fruit is brought to the winery and crushed to a tank where the grapes are then macerated (fruit and juice soaked together) for a period of time to allow for colour and flavour extraction.

Maceration can occur for less than an hour to up to 24 hours, depending on the style of Rosé being produced. Light, blush pink Rosé wines will only undergo maceration for a very short period of time. Once the desired colour and flavour profile is reached, the winemaker will then rack the juice off the skins to begin fermentation.

This method can make many styles of Rosé depending on grape variety and length of maceration.

Method Two: Direct Pressing

This method is the same method that is used to make white wines. Fruit is brought straight to the winery and pressed directly to tank with no maceration time. This quick separation of skin and juice results in just enough color to make a pale pink Rosé wine – this process actually tends to produce the lightest-colours out of all the methods.

Method Three: Saignée

Saignée (san-yay) is a French word that directly translates to ‘bleeding’. This method involves draining or ‘bleeding’ off a portion of juice directly from a tank that will go on to make red wine. The drawn off juice is then used to make Rosé. The benefits of bleeding off the juice not only produces a delicious Rosé, but it also concentrates the intensity of the red wine.

Rosé wines produced using this method are often more full-bodied compared to other styles.

Method Four: Blending

As the name suggests, this method involves adding a very small amount of red wine to a white wine, producing a pink wine! Although this is not a very common method to produce still Rosé wine, blending is actually used to make high quality Rosé Champagne and sparkling wines.

Our Rosé wines

Now you know all about how Rosé is made, be sure to try some our favourite pink drops this summer!

To celebrate summer, we are offering a very special discount on all Rosé purchases (excluding Deep Woods Estate Rosé): buy 5 bottles and get the 6th bottle free. Simply add 6 bottles to your cart and this automatic discount will be applied at checkout.

Strelley Farm Estate Pét Nat Rosé

This is a lightly sparkling wine with a mouthwatering, juicy acidity bursting with vibrant tropical flavours. Best drunk on a hot summers' night with your feet in the sand, watching the golden sun slowly dip below the horizon.

This Pét Nat was made in a hands-off, minimal intervention style before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Strelley Farm Estate NV Rosé

This refreshing sparkling has been made with a blend of Tasmanian Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

With lifted notes of rose petal, fresh strawberry and brioche, this is a refreshing sparkling Rosé layered with delicious flavours of crisp red apple, pomegranate and strawberry.

Millbrook Winery 2022 Regional Rosé

This wine has aromas of scratched mandarin peel, just-ripe strawberries and rose petal. Bursting with bright red berry fruits, a fresh mineral acidity and a subtle savoury texture. Refreshing and dry - this is the ultimate summer Rosé.

Deep Woods Estate 2022 Harmony Rosé

“Dry Rosé is a great wine style – one that we put a lot of work into at Deep Woods Estate. This Rosé continues a run of excellent vintages, combining great freshness and lightness in a wine that is still complex and satisfying.” – Julian Langworthy, Chief Winemaker

Juicy and flavoursome with fresh raspberry and ripe, expressive strawberry. An unashamedly dry finish with a gorgeous silken texture and bright acidity. 

Deep Woods Estate 2023 Rosé

This Rosé is produced from Margaret River fruit and made to sit alongside the very best wines from the Deep Woods stable. The aim was to make a contemporary style of Rosé; nuanced and delicate, yet still full-flavoured. 

Awarded 95 points in the Halliday Wine Companion (October 2023), this wine is crisp and full of flavour – our best-selling Rosé.

Evans & Tate 2022 Strawberry Fields Rosé

This Rosé has lifted aromatics of freshly crushed strawberries, rose petal and Turkish delight, adding lovely layers of perfume. Red berry fruits immediately fill the mouth. It is long, fresh and flavoursome with a refreshing, dry finish.

A balanced, flavoursome, vibrant style of rosé‚ with perfumed aromatics reminiscent of walking through a field of strawberries.

You can shop all Fogarty Wine Group Rosé wines here.