Rosé

Rosé-Champagner haben eine lange und bewegte Vergangenheit. Rosé-Weine sind schon seit vielen Jahrhunderten bekannt. Auch Weine aus der Champagne, im 16. Jahrhundert als Vin Gris bekannt und verehrt, waren rosafarbene Getränke. Mönche wie Perignon und Oudart investierten all ihr Talent, um letzten Endes erfolgreich weiße Weine aus blauen Trauben zu keltern. Sicherlich wären diese Mönche entsetzt gewesen, wenn sie mitbekommen hätten, dass die berühmte Witwe Clicquot später die absichtliche Produktion auch rosafarbener Champagner 1777 erfolgreich einführte.

Rosé champagnes then experienced changeable popularity until today. Around 1850, for example, they were highly popular, after which their popularity went downhill until they were once again in great demand around 1900. At that time, they were also often referred to as Oeil de Perdrix (Eye of the Partridge). Today, rosé has a relatively small but loyal following among aficionados (only about 3% of the champagnes produced today are rosé champagnes). It is especially popular among women, especially since rosé is considered the color of love and innocence, and is also gentle and warming. A rosé is a first-class complement to meat dishes, both in terms of color and taste.

One reason why rosé champagnes are ignored by some connoisseurs - especially in the USA - is based on an erroneous color-related prejudice: For they have long been aware of countless cheap, pink-colored sparkling wines, most of which are characterized by an unpleasantly sweet note.

Rosé champagnes, on the other hand, are not sweet, but dry sparkling wines, which, as first-class, full-bodied champagnes, are not inferior to any other-colored champagnes. Rosé champagnes are also, on average, somewhat more expensive than their white counterparts. Very many champagne houses have a rosé in their range.

The production of rosé champagnes is somewhat more complex than that of the usual champagnes. The seductive color is achieved either by elaborate maceration, or the short-term soaking of the skin of the blue grapes in the must (method is called 'saignée'), or by qualified addition of red wines. The pink color of the house brand champagnes created in this way must be exactly the same from year to year.