Rose is a red wine that is pinkish in color. The reason it isn’t a dark red is due to how they make the wine. The skins of the grapes are not allowed to stay long in the juice which results in a pinkish wine. Being more similar to white wine, the wine doesn’t come out very tannic for the same reason. Rose is often produced as a by product of red wine by a technique known as Saignee which means to bleed the vats. This process happens when the winemaker wishes to add more tannins to the red wine, he will release some of the pink juice early which will make the wine remaining in the vat more concentrated and intensified, increasing the tannins. There is another process of blending but it is frowned upon in the industry and few use that technique. In the 1970s, there was a big demand for white wine. There weren’t enough white wine grapes to satisfy the demand so winemakers started making white wine from red wine by removing the skins earlier during the process. In 1975 Sutter Homes had a problem producing White Zinfandel because the yeast died before converting all the sugars into alcohol so it led to a sweeter wine. They decided to sell the sweet pink wine and it became a hit. The word Blush was actually trademarked in 1978 by Kreck. The name caught on and been used ever since. Many people get confused thinking that White Zinfandel should be a white wine and so there is sometimes confusion. Another confusing point is that many people think all Rose’s are sweet but they actually range in all different styles. Some are sweet and others are dry so choosing one just right for you may be tricky. Best served chilled and pairs with almost anything. Rose’s are food friendly and although many drink Rose as a starter wine or aperitif, some may compliment the main course.