Rosé wines from South Africa - a new world

Stimmungsvolles Bild mit einem Glas Roséwein vor sommerlichem Obst

A world that has developed rapidly!

Rosé wines have been around in South Africa for less than 30 years. Rosé wine is not a specific type of grape, it is a style of wine, like red wine and white wine.

The first rosé wines were very fruity and sweet and therefore used to be called "housewives' wine". In the meantime, cultivation and sales have almost tripled in the years 2007-2014, and not just in South Africa - but worldwide. As a result, the demand for high-quality dry rosés is continuously increasing. France's rosé wines from Provence are a great example. Once again, South African winegrowers have responded quickly to the demand for high-quality rosé wine. Thanks to their creativity and cuvée art, they have succeeded in creating great, harmonious and light rosé wines with a lot of elegance.

More information

Rosé wines have been around in South Africa for less than 30 years. Incidentally, rosé wine is not a specific type of grape. It is a style of wine, like red wine and white wine. The largest producers of rosé wines by volume are France, Spain and Italy. The first rosé wines were very fruity and sweet and were therefore formerly known as "housewives' wine". In the meantime, cultivation and sales have almost tripled in the years 2007-2014, and not just in South Africa - but worldwide. As a result, the demand for high-quality dry rosés is continuously increasing. France's rosé wines from Provence are a great example. Once again, South African winegrowers have responded quickly to the demand for high-quality rosé and, thanks to their creativity and cuvée art, they have succeeded in creating great, harmonious and light rosé wines with a lot of elegance.

Rosé wines - fruity and young

Rosé wines in South Africa are made from blanc de noir, i.e. white wine made from red grapes. The contact time of the grape skin with the mash determines the subsequent colour of the rosé wine. The second option is to make a rosé from red and white grapes. Or to use only red grapes. Care must be taken to ensure that the contact between the mash and the grape skin is minimal in order to avoid the final product being too dark in colour. In South Africa, the local Pinotage grapes are also used to make rosé. It is known for giving rosé wine its authentic colour.

Most rosés are therefore produced by blending different grape varieties. The most commonly used grapes for rosé in South Africa are: Shiraz, Grenache, Mouvedre, Pinot Grigio, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cinsault, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir.

You can usually recognise fruity, strong rosé varieties by their colour and, of course, their taste: strong pink, raspberry or cherry-coloured, strong and fruity body with Turkish delight, candy floss and strawberry undertones.

You can find fruity rosé wines in our shop:

Grand Provence - Franschhoek,
4 Cousins - Robertson,
Thelema - Stellenbosch,
Mulderbosch - Stellenbosch,
Beyerskloof - Stellenbosch,
Buitenverwachting - Constantia

Rosé wines - the little sister of Provence

Rosés, especially the dry, rather pale varieties, are often called "blush" in South Africa. However, this has nothing to do with a particular grape or production method, but is simply another word for rosé. Rosé wines are known as food companions and all-round talents, as their flavour lies between the full-bodied, tannic red wines and the slightly more acidic white wines and are therefore a very good choice for many dishes. Whether for picnics or barbecues, and not just in the summer months. Depending on how light or strong the rosé of your choice is, it goes well with: fish, vegetables, chicken, grilled steak but also snacks such as crisps or biscuits.

Just make sure that the rosé wine is always well chilled. In contrast to red wines or Chardonnays, rosé wines are designed to be enjoyed immediately - perhaps for a year, but not for longer.

As a rule, you can recognise dry rosé wines by their beautiful, pale pink or salmon colour. In terms of flavour, we find intense nuances of strawberry, peach blossom, melon or rose petals.

As there are many different wine farms in the wine countries that offer a rosé, this can only be a small selection of a recommendation and is, of course, not complete.

Winery recommendations of the dry varieties from our shop:

Holden Manz - Franschhoek,
Boschendal - Franschhoek,
Delheim - Stellenbosch,
Laborie - Paarl,
Backsberg - Stellenbosch,
Vondeling - Paarl,
Gabrielskloof - Bot River,
Spier - Stellenbosch,
Asara - Stellenbosch,
Leopard's Leap - Franschhoek,
DeMorgenzon - Stellenbosch