How is rosé Champagne made?
Everything you need to know about Champagne Rosé
Champagne Rosé is produced in two ways: by blending different wines, or by adding red grape must to the champagne. Both methods produce a beautiful drink with deep colours. Pépites en Champagne explains the production of Champagne Rosé and guides you through the process.
There are many varieties of rosé Champagne.
Champagne Rosé is a sparkling wine made from several grape varieties, mainly red grapes such as Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The pink colour of the champagne comes from the maceration of the skins of red grapes in the juice, which colours it. Chardonnay grapes are also used in the production of Champagne Rosé. It is a blended champagne.
Rosé Champagnes are made from a blend of three grape varieties: in addition to the grapes, rose is also used to make Rosé Champagnes. Rosé Champagnes are often pink in colour, but they can also be red, white or purple. They are generally less sweet than other Champagnes and are usually not as expensive. Rosé Champagnes were originally produced only in the autumn, but are now available all year round.
Pinot Noir gives the wine its strength and structure.
Pinot Meunier is known for its notes of ripe yellow fruit and full body. It is one of the most commonly used grape varietiesin Champagne production.
Chardonnay grapes are used to produce a sweet, delicate and fresh wine.
The traditional method of making Rosé Champagne is used in two other ways. Blending and bleeding produce Rosé in different ways, but both follow the same steps. The flavours and tastes would be different, of course, as would the colour of the wine.
Champagne made from a blend of grapes.
The most common method of making Rosé Champagne is to blend white and red grape musts with a small amount of red wine (between 5 and 15 per cent). This produces an ‘assemblage’ Rosé Champagne. The proportion of red wine can vary, but white wine must make up the majority in this production method. Champagne is the only French wine that can be made using a blending technique. It has a light aroma, an orange-pink colour and citrus notes due to the Chardonnay used in its production.
Rosé de Saignée Champagne
The method used to produce Rosé de saignée Champagne is the most complex and delicate of all, as the duration of contact between the red grape skins and the juice can vary from one year to the next. The tannins in the grape skins colour the juice and, as the juice macerates, it takes on a natural colour. Rosé Champagnes made using this method are amongst the finest in the world. The way the champagne is produced determines its colour and flavour. Rosé Champagne has a more vinous aroma and a very pink colour.
Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are the only grapes used in Rosé de saignée, giving the wine a deeper pink colour and more intense red fruit flavours.
Does pink champagne taste sweeter than other champagnes?
White champagne is not necessarily sweeter than traditional champagne. Rosé champagne does contain a sweet liqueur made from wine and sugar, but contrary to popular belief, rosé is not necessarily sweeter than traditional champagne. The sugar content of the liqueur is determined at the time of dosage, and can result in a Champagne classified as Brut, Extra-Sec or Doux.
Depending on the type of wine you want, different amounts of liqueur are used for the dosage.
A Champagne to which no extra sugar has been added is called Champagne Brut Nature. Champagne Extra Brut: between 0 and 6g of sugar per litre.
Champagne Brut: less than 12g of sugar per litre.
Extra Sec Champagne: between 12 and 17g of sugar per litre.
Champagne Sec: between 17 and 32g of sugar per litre.
Champagne Demi-Sec: 32 to 50g of sugar per litre.
Champagne Doux: more than 50g of sugar per litre.
