France and particularly the beautiful Provence region, produces a third of the world production according to a report in AFP, They feel the new ruling risks destroying a local tradition. In Provence region on the Mediterranean coast, a glass of dry wine on a hot summer afternoon with a dish of olives or grilled fish is an inherent part of the local culture.
French winegrowers have fought hard for their salmon pink coloured wine to be considered on a par with the classic red and white varieties, even though the purists have been dismissing it as low-grade plonk. The results show in the rose making up a fifth of wine bought in France. About 10% of the global consumption today is Rosé.
According to the current process used in Europe and most of the new world where even though the mixing of red and white wine is allowed, the colour is obtained by using a special technique where red grape skins are pressed and left in contact with the macerating white juice for a few hours, enough to gently tint the wine. But the European Commission believes that the present EU rules are a hindrance for French, Italian and Spanish producers in markets like China.
A draft ruling, allowing red and white wine blending will be put to the vote by EU members on April 27. Provence producers feel the ruling would flood the market with poor quality pink plonk, destroying rose's hard-earned image and will be a terrible setback to the image.
The method of missing wines is used by a small number of high-end winegrowers, including in France's Champagne region and in Spain where it is not allowed to be exported.
Some growers, including in California, also make rose as a by-product of red wine, using a technique called bleeding. In this process, part of the juice is siphoned off in early stages of fermentation to concentrate the tannins and colour of the remaining red wine, while the removed juice is fermented separately to produce rosé.
In India, Grover has been a leader in making Rosé from Shiraz. Sula started with Zinfandel and now most producers are trying to add this to their product portfolios, the latest being Zampa and Four Seasons. Although still a clear favourite of the ladies, it augments Indian preparations rather well-with most wine connoisseurs including Jancis Robinson and Michel Rolland recommending the same with Indian food. DelWine has been a proponent of this style too for long, especially in summer. |