Patio season is finally upon us! For many wine enthusiasts, this means tucking the heavier reds away until autumn and diving into traditional summer sippers. Rosé wines fall firmly into that category, but they sometimes come with a bad rap, especially with people whose first encounters with pink wines involved the cloyingly sweet white Zinfandels of the 1990s.

If your view on rosé is that it’s best left for beginners, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Rosé is made with a vast range of varietals and methods, from sweet to bone dry and simple to complex. They can be still or sparkling and very light to medium-bodied, or even on par with full-bodied white wines. In fact, there are so many ways to produce a rosé that it’s rare for any two to be alike. 

As for methods, rosés can be made in three different ways. The most common is maceration. A red wine grape is crushed and left to rest with its skins for a shorter period than would be needed to complete a red wine. This can range from a few hours to a couple of days, depending on what the winemaker aims to achieve. The juicing is completed and the wine is finished, most often in steel tanks as with white wine. Some rosés do see some barrel time, though, including one of the wines featured below.

Another method is known as saignée. The winemaker begins making a red wine and decides to concentrate it to give it a bolder profile. A portion of the incomplete red wine is then siphoned or “bled” off from the bottom of the batch. The term saignée is used to describe this process because it’s the French word for bled. The winemaker is then left with both a bolder red wine and a bolder-than-average rosé.

The third method for creating a rosé is to blend. Here, the possibilities are endless. A blended rosé can use any red wine grape, finished to any stage of completion, and any white wine. The amounts used may vary dramatically, giving the winemaker a fully blank canvas for creativity. 

Below, we’ve highlighted a trio of Ontario rosés. Each one represents a different wine region and a different varietal. These wines are made in two of the three methods above, and each offers a unique twist. They only have two things in common: they’re all pink, and you’ll need to buy them directly from the wineries because they’re not offered at the LCBO.  

Between the Lines 2021 Rosé
Four Mile Creek (Niagara-on-the-Lake), Ontario
$20.00 for 750 mL, at the winery or betweenthelineswinery.com

Representing the Niagara Peninsula on our Ontario rosé tour, BTL’s entry is made entirely from Pinot noir. This one comes with what’s described as a “barrel-aged twist” that gives the pink hue a slight orange tinge. The winery’s tasting notes describe red fruits and berries, but I find the profile to be more along the lines of apricots, apples, and lemon zest. It’s dry but not at all acidic and presents with a velvety mouth feel. This would pair beautifully with a light Thai-style curry loaded with coconut and lemongrass.
Score: 8/10

Redtail Vineyards 2021 Gamay Rosé
Prince Edward County, Ontario
$15.00 for 750 mL, at the winery or redtailvineyards.com

This bottle caught me out on a technicality. Redtail Vineyards is based in Prince Edward County, but the grapes for this wine are imported from Niagara. No matter: it’s produced with a County twist, so I think it counts. This rosé from 100% Gamay noir is hand-harvested, crushed without stems, and cold soaked for six hours before pressing. Redtail calls this wine its “porch pounder,” and it’s easy to see why. It starts with aromas of white peach, apricot, and sweet cherry candy. The palate is very fresh with a light sweetness and flavours of sweet cherry and other stone fruits. It offers a significantly different profile than a Pinot noir rosé, and it’s a relative bargain, too. Try it with some mid-afternoon fruit and cheese on the back deck.
Score: 8/10

Muscedere Vineyards 2021 Rosé
Erie Pelee Island Coast, Ontario
$18.95 for 750 mL, at the winery or muscederevineyards.com

Here again we have an entirely different rosé, this time from Ontario’s EPIC wine region. Muscedere went with a blend for its 2021 vintage using 95% Vidal and 5% Cabernet Franc. The Vidal benefits deeply here from the mellowing and added interest the Cab Franc provides. Its light aroma melds strawberry with the Vidal’s peach influence, and the palate brings forward similar fruits in a barely off-dry and summery finish. This wine is easy-drinking, balanced, and fresh. For something unconventional, try it with a grilled peach salad with goat cheese and mint, or pork chops with a sweet peach glaze.
Score: 8/10