Artisan Winemaking: Rosé History & Design

A wine style with one of the richest histories in the book, Rosé winemaking is largely considered the first formal style of wine. According to GuidSomm’s Victoria James, many of the first recorded wines were ancient Grecian rosé wines, created from a mass crushing of grapes regardless of skin color, thus inventing the blended rosé. As these grapes were transported through trade and cultivated in different climates, vines evolved and viticultural techniques shifted away from blending red and white skinned grapes toward focusing on creating a rose-colored wine from individual red-skinned grapes.

From the Middle Ages until the 1800’s, a Bordeaux wine nicknamed “Claret” grew to French and English fame as a fashionable red wine that maintained a pink color and offered a more refreshing palate. In America, 1869, the “white Zinfandel” made its way on the wine scene, but would struggle to gain traction in the wine world for nearly a century. This trend continued to grow through the 19th century as rosé became known as vin de soif, or a “wine to quench thirst,” and was beginning to be chilled for service. Midway through the 20th century, a hyperproduction of rosé wines tarnished the style as low quality and prone to a short shelf-life.

Rosé’s revival would begin in America in the 1970’s, sponsored by music stars on their rise to fame, though rose would still struggle to make its way into the “fine wine” world until the early 2000’s. In Europe, legislation had long prohibited blending white and red wines to create rosé. In 2009, seeking to meet a new rise in demand, the European Union moved to change this prohibition and revive the blending technique in rosé winemaking. Until this point, only Champagne winemakers allowed to blend red and white grapes for rosé champagnes. France chose to not change their appellation laws, resulting in a renewed debate concerning rosé quality and production style. Meanwhile in America, celebrities were the champions of refreshing rosé, officially helping the wine to break ground in the world of fine dining and fine wine.

Today, rosé is a summer favorite for many wine drinkers world wide, and is especially popular in the state of Texas. A refreshing wine that is easy to enjoy on its own or paired with poultry, salads, and salmon, rosé has become a classic feature in modern wine culture. Our collection currently includes a Rosé of Counoise, Rosé of Tempranillo, and our newest 2019 Rosé blend! Check out our methods and tasting notes below!