Colour does influence our appreciation for wine. Pexels
When I first started wine show judging, wines were rated on the 20-point system. Judges were told to award each wine up to 3 points for colour, 7 points for aroma and 10 points for taste. We were advised to give each wine the maximum 3-point score for colour unless it was faulty, in which case we would subtract some points to account for the fault.
I recall being given a mix of red and white wines to taste blindfolded. My mission was to identify the colour of each wine.
A faulty colour could be a haze (judges are more forgiving today), evidence of oxidation or a rosé that was too deep or perhaps too pale.
My wife, like many women—according to an informal survey—prefers her rosé pale and pink. She totally rejected my claim that pale rosé has less flavour than deeper-hued wines. Rosé, she argues, should be subtle and seductive with a silken texture. No argument from me.
I asked Michael Brajkovich MW, Kumeu River’s rockstar winemaker, for his view on the optimum rosé colour. He replied:
“The paler the better, at least as far as the market is concerned. We made a pinot noir rosé last year on the spur of the moment. It was a last-minute decision. Our crop of pinot noir grapes looked a bit light so we diverted half the tonnage to make rosé instead of table wine by running off the juice in a process
This Article was originally published on The Real Review
