Many rosé wines are available locally, with good examples from the US, Italy, France, Spain and also Malta.

Some years ago I wrote about how quality rosé wines were not as popular in Malta as in other Mediterranean countries. At that time, the only rosé wines consumed in significant quantities were Mateus and Lancers.

It seems times have changed and we are now much more open to this style of wine.

If one looks at the drinking habits of other similar Mediterranean countries, in the north and south, the production and consumption of rosé are quite high. I rather think that the reason for the lack of appreciation of this type of wine in the past was because many regarded rosé as a ‘sissy’ drink, a neither-here-nor-there wine.

Many thought it is white wine with added colour or that it is not real wine but just a concoction. This, of course, is not the case, and if one tries to understand how rosé wine is made, the quality, advantages and joy this wine can give become very evident.

To fully understand and appreciate rosé wine, one must learn a little about how red wine gets its colour.

When red grapes are crushed or squeezed, they produce a very lightly-coloured juice also known as ‘must’ that slowly turns red while in contact with the skin of red grapes. Therefore it is the skin of the grape that makes red wine red.

This process of skin contact with the must is technically called ‘maceration’.

Besides colour, other skin characteristics are released into the juice. Without going into much detail, and using layman’s terms, most of the red wine flavours together with some tannins, yeasts and extract are all found in and around the skin, and the dissolution of these into the juice and, finally, the wine depends on for how long this maceration goes on. It’s very much like making tea with a teabag: the longer you leave the bag in the hot water, the more colour and flavour you extract.

Most quality rosé wines start their fermentation process exactly like red wine. They are made with red grapes utilising the principle of maceration.

The difference is that after one or two days, occasionally more, the juice is separated and removed from the maceration tank, so no more colour or skin flavours can be extracted. It is because of this that rosé wines in France are often referred to as vin d’une nuit, or wine of one night.

Fermentation then continues with the juice on its own, very much like white wine, giving the finished wine the best of both worlds.

Because it is made with red grapes and because of the few days of skin contact, rosé wine takes some of the tannins and fruitiness we normally associate with red wine. And since fermentation is finished as white wine, they are slightly more acidic and refreshing, which of course means they can be served cold.

This should be very appealing to us Maltese. In the blistering heat of the summer months,and especially out in the open air, it is practically impos­­­sible to enjoy red wine in the correct temperature.

Because rosé is best appreciated at between eight and 12˚C, dependent on how dark and extracted it is, it can easily be kept in an ice bucket or a cooler, which will make sure that it is poured in your glass at the perfect temperature. Another great advantage of rosé wine is that it is extremely versatile when it comes to associating it with food. In fact, except for some heavy-flavoured stews, game or cheese dishes, which are not summer foods anyway, I can think of very few dishes that rosé will not accompany well.

It is particularly complement-ary to Asian cuisine, both Indian and Chinese, fish, white meats, pasta and pizza. It is extremely refreshing with BBQ and very sociable as a long aperitif.

Many rosé wines are available locally, with good examples from the US, Italy, France, Spain and also Malta. In France, rosé wine is highly regarded and various areas have traditionally become associated with it.

Another great advantage of rosé wine is that it is extremely versatile when it comes to associating it with food

Most famous for light rosés is Provence, and these wines are generally dry and light. Domaine OTT and Chateau Minuty are very good examples with an ever-increasing demand in Malta.

Another rosé from Provence making a mark is Brad Pitt’s and Angelina Jolie’s Chateau Miraval.

Tavel in the Rhone valley and Bergerac to the east of Bordeaux produce rosés that are darker and slightly more tannic that can be served slightly warmer.

Many Bordeaux producers, including top estates, make a rosé too, a large variety of which is available in Malta. Anjou in the Loire also produces light rosés that are slightly more acidic and therefore more refreshing. But, especially among the latter, beware of cheap versions that are artificially sweet.

From Italy I have recently enjoyed a rosé from Terre Nere on the Etna and an Antinori from Tuscany.

Maltese rosé is normally quite good too. Meridiana, Delicata and Marsovin have good examples.

Although generally more expensive than normal non-vintage, rosé champagne has also grown in popularity. Good examples are Taittengers and Laurent Perrier.

Take my advice, this summer make time for rosé wine.

mike@michaeltabone.com