Coloured perception
Rosé champagnes need image consultants. There is no other solution to improve the opinion of people about this delicious drink, unless they’re willing to set their prejudices aside and try it. Rosé has traditionally suffered a déclassé image — largely because people associated it with sweet wine coolers of their youth. The minutest segment of alcohol consumers actually knows that rosé can be fact very dry and full of character. Globally, rosé champagnes are becoming a big style statement. In India, the trend is still to catch on.
Obtained, usually, by adding about 15 per cent red wine to the normal champagne blend, the colour for years was considered a detriment; it was pretty, and therefore could not be a serious wine. But suddenly that whole argument has been turned on its head, and its colour has now become rosé’s big selling point.
Rosé has one other advantage, beyond its cosmetic appeal. Thanks to the addition of the red wine, it has a bigger, fuller flavour that stands up to food far better than regular brut champagne. Rosé champagnes account for between three to five per cent of Champagne’s yearly production. These champagnes are distinct from Blanc de noirs (white from black grapes) in that rosé champagnes are often coloured, with hues that span from “baby pink” to copper salmon, while Blanc de noirs are white wines with only the palest of colouring. Many modern rosé champagnes are produced as regular champagnes but are later “coloured up” by adding red Pinot noir wines to the finished wine.
It takes several years to make a bottle of good champagne so it’s hard for the producers to respond quickly to a sudden spike in demand. That explains the very steep premium rosé commands over similar quality brut champagne.
The writer is a sommelier
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