How different are they actually if they’re both pink and wine?
The other is despised by everyone who enjoys fine wine, while the first is universally praised by brunch goers and Instagram influencers. But what distinguishes rosé from white Zinfandel, actually? After all, they are both pink-hued wines.
White Zinfandel against rosé
White Zinfandel and rosé are produced using somewhat comparable techniques. Although winemaking is an intricate art, all you really need to know for this discussion is that red grape skins are typically fermented for only a few hours to produce rosé. Contrarily, the fermentation process for many red wines takes a while. Rosé’s hue is lighter because of the wine’s briefer contact with the grape skins.
Any red grape can be used to make rosé, but Zinfandel grapes are used to make white Zin, as you would have guessed.
White Zinfandel often has a sweeter, pinker, and simpler flavor than many rosé types. Rosé can be sweet or dry. Moreover, it can be any shade from blush to hot red.
Describe rosé.
Even though we frequently picture famous people in history drinking on deep crimson wines, many of the first wines were rosés. According to GuildSomm, early rosés were created by diluting field mixtures of white and red grapes, and the Ancient Greeks thought it was civilized to dilute wine.
Many people think that red and white wine are combined to make rosé. There is a method for doing this, but most winemakers disapprove of it.
From California to Europe, rosés may be found all over the world. Some of the most dependable rosé producers are found in the French area of Provençe. In actuality, the region produces more rosé than any other type of wine.
White Zinfandel: What Is It?
White Zinfandel, also known as “white Zin,” was accidentally developed. Sutter Home Vineyard co-owner and winemaker Bob Trinchero was tinkering with the winery’s Zinfandel in 1972. In an effort to enhance the wine’s color, body, and flavor, he employed a process called saignée, which entails “bleeding” out a portion of the juice after it has come into contact with the skins and seeds of red grapes.
Although the method was successful, Trinchero was left with eleven barrels of white juice. He considered the resulting wine to be harsh, dry, gritty, and similar to Chardonnay, but he nevertheless chose to bottle it.
Initial results of the trial were unsuccessful. Nonetheless, white Zinfandel eventually became Sutter Home’s best-selling wine by 1975 after some trial and error. It is still the only wine offered by the company that reliably sells out each year.
Once more, white Zinfandel is a method of processing Zinfandel grapes, not a grape type. Although it’s one of the most widely consumed wines in the US, many customers view it as unpolished. However it seems like White Zin’s standing is shifting. Youth winemakers are enhancing the nuances of the wine while embracing its campiness.