The summer’s best rosé wines

Sales of rosé wines have increased by as much as 900 percent in 20 years, according to figures from Systembolaget. In 2003, we Swedes drank a total of 1,920,995 liters of rosé wine, which can be compared to over 17 million liters last year.

– That is from May to August in principle, because we drink a lot more during a very short period as well, says wine writer Alf Tumble.

Most common in Sweden – the light pink rosé

He has with him four of, according to him, the best rosé wines of the summer. The first wine from Provence is the type of rosé wine that is best known in Sweden with its pale pink color.

– Provence is associated with rosé wine, they have made it their noble brand. The Provence rosé should be light pink, pale and quite crisp, not too much alcohol and it tastes slightly of peach, says Alf Tumble.

The wine he has with him, he believes, is a very good example of what rosé wine is from Provence.

The shell determines the color – and the taste

All rosé wines are made from blue grapes, but the skin of the grape is what gives the wine its color – so the longer the skin is left with the pressing, the darker the wine will be.

The next rosé wine comes from the Pfalz area in Germany and is made from the Pinot Noir grape. The wine has acquired a more orange-pink colour.

– It starts to taste more of the grape, above all. It also gets a bit more blood orange and a bit more strawberry notes. But also that there will be a little more acid, a little more everything, says Alf Tumble.

Going against the trend – the best rosé is the dark one

The third wine comes from Chile and is made from the same grape as the Provence rosé, namely Grenache.

– This one is almost blood red and in terms of aroma there are lots of raspberries, strawberries and a whole fruit salad.

Darker rosé wines have gotten a bad rap, but Alf Tumble disagrees.

– There was a trend that the dark wines were bad and sweet. But the latest and perhaps the best wine of these four is number four.

Number four on the list comes from Rioja in Spain and is of the darker kind.

– It’s a very clear taste, almost a slight caramel tone. This is welcome to come up to temperature, it doesn’t matter. But then the question is whether it is rosé wine. I say it’s a good wine, says Alf Tumble.