ROSÉ-TINTED GLASSES
From candy brights to pale onion-skin hues, MARY-THERESE BLAIR celebrates the variety of top-notch rosé.
WHEN SITTING IN A judging room faced with a flight of freshly poured rosés, there is one thing I can guarantee; at least one person will comment on the various shades of pink before them. From light, lithe onion skin to bright, popping candy pink, rosé comes in a wide range of shades. Trends show that consumers are most definitely influenced by colour, increasingly opting for lighter coloured rosés over their darker counterparts.
While there is no question that we shop with our eyes, don’t be swayed by the misnomer that darker means sweeter. The colour of a rosé is determined by the amount of time the juice has been in contact with the skins before being pressed off, rather than the amount of sugar in the wine. There are a few poppin’ pinks that our judges loved in the line up below as a guide if you’re not sure where to start with a darker hue.