Exploring Spanish Rosé Wine

Introduction

The rise of rosé wine has spread worldwide over the past decade, reaching far beyond the beautiful landscapes of Provence. Its refreshing nature and versatility make it a perfect option for relaxing and cooling off during the summer. But it also has gained a reputation as a wine to be taken seriously, pairing well with food.

Discover More About Spanish Wine

While France often comes to mind when we think of rosé, Spain has long embraced the art of crafting approachable and elegant ‘rosados‘ that showcase the country’s unique terroirs. Rosé winemaking in Spain dates back to ancient times, slowly evolving into today’s modern viticulture and winemaking practices. This article will explore the hidden gem of Spanish rosé wine, diving into the top regions, producers, food pairings, and more!

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The Essence of Spanish Rosé

So, what exactly is rosé wine? Rosé is defined by its distinct pink color, ranging from pale blush to deep salmon, which comes from minimal contact with the red grape skins during fermentation. Rosés, or rosados in Spanish, offer a unique balance expressing the red fruit flavors and body attributed to red wines but with the fresh, crisp acidity of white wine. A few standard techniques for making rosé wine have evolved over the years and vary depending on the region where the rosado is produced. 

Clarete

Traditionally, the clarete method was used to make rosé in Spain. In this process, red and white grapes are harvested together and co-fermented, resulting in rosé that has more body and complexity. This was often due to vineyards having red and white grape varieties planted together, harvested, and fermented as a ‘field blend,’ resulting in a lighter wine. While this method is not the dominant rosé production today, the tradition of making claretes lives on in many regions of Spain, with artisanal producers crafting elegant wines from their old-vine vineyards.

Maceration

The most common rosé winemaking technique these days is ‘maceration,’ which means keeping the grape skins in contact with the juice. The grape juice absorbs the pigments from the skins, giving the wine its color. In red winemaking, the grape skins macerate for 7-14 days, resulting in deep red hues. Because rosé winemaking only macerates the skin for short amounts of time, it has a pink color. Maceration times vary depending on the style of the winemaker.

For example, direct pressing involves pressing red grapes gently to extract a minimal amount of pale pink color, keeping the skins on the juice for the least time possible. ‘Short maceration’ involves crushing the grapes and allowing the skins to stay in contact with the juice for a brief period ranging from a few hours to two days. The longer the juice is in contact with the skins, the deeper the pink hue will be. 

Saignée

Another common rosé winemaking technique is saignée, the French verb ‘to bleed.’ During fermentation, winemakers bleed off a portion of red wine to ferment separately as a lighter wine or rosé. Rosé wines created by saignée typically have a richer, fuller-bodied profile. This technique helps the winemaker in two ways. It allows the red wine fermentation they bleed off to become more concentrated and tannic, allowing them to make another separate wine, the rosé. Therefore, although saignée is not a super common technique amongst producers dedicating themselves to rosé wines, you will find this done in many wine regions that focus and excel at red wine production, like La Rioja.

Rosé Misconceptions

There are a lot of misconceptions involving rosé wines. Although they are now widely accepted as excellent wines capable of elegance and seriousness, they were often regarded in the past as lower-quality wines that were unserious. Or worse, just for women due to their pink color. Of course, that is anything but the truth, with many producers creating premium-quality rosés. Another misconception is that rosé wines are a blend of white and red wines. Although this can happen in some instances, it is very rare and prohibited in some wine regions, as some argue it takes a less nuanced approach to making wine. 

Key Regions for Spanish Rosé

Spanish regions all over the country produce rosados, but a few prominent regions are specifically focused and dedicated to making rosé wines.

Cigales

Cigales is a small ‘denominación de origen’ found in the Castilla y León region, alongside bigger regions like Toro and Rueda. This region is renowned for its rosados, especially for using the clarete method, a field blend of red grapes like Tempranillo and Garnacha mixed with local white varieties like Albillo Mayor. The resulting wines have bright red fruits from the red grapes but subtle herbal and floral notes from the white varieties, making it a complex, gastronomic rosé. 

Recommended Producers in Cigales

• Finca Museum
• Bodegas César Príncipe
• Bodegas Sinforiano
• Bodegas Hiriart
• Bodegas Salvueros

Cigales Wine Region Guide: Read more

La Rioja 

Rioja is known for its red wine production, specifically for its balanced, elegant, and aged Tempranillos. However, there is a long history of rosé production in this region, in which the practice of making clarete wines by blending the white grape Viura with Garnacha was common. Recently, there has been a renaissance of rosado production in La Rioja, and we see this historic D.O. adapt to changing times. Initially, producers were prohibited from making the pale pink, crisp rosés that have become quite popular. The regulatory council of the D.O. required rosados to have a darker due and pushed for similar aging requirements, common with Rioja red wines. Eventually, the regulatory board loosened up on their policies, and now producers are making some of the best rosé wines in the country due to the region’s rich soil and fresh climate with their higher elevation vineyards. 

Elizabeth Gabay, Master of Wine in charge of ‘The Rosé Report 2023’, explains,

“Rioja rosés are a revelation. From a wide variety of terroirs and altitudes, you can find wines ranging from the most traditional to the most modern and innovative. Few regions, if any, combine such fascinating diversity and treat rosé wine with such seriousness and respect at the Gran Reserva and Reserva level, thus creating a new dimension.”  

Recommended Producers in La Rioja

• CVNE
• Bodegas Izadi
• Bodegas LAN
• Bodegas López de Heredia
• Bodegas Muga
• Bodegas Vivanco

La Rioja Wine Region Guide: Read more

Navarra

Navarra is located in the northeast of Spain, just above Rioja. Situated between the Pyrenees Mountains and the Ebro River, the fresh climate and variety of soils make for excellent growing conditions for red grapes that maintain their acidity, the key to great rosado. This region produces excellent rosé wines made from local grape varieties such as Garnacha and Tempranillo while growing some noted French varieties like Pinot Noir, often used for rosé. Beyond rosé, many producers in Navarra are also known for making great white and red wines. 

Recommended Producers in Navarra

• Bodegas Chivite
• Bodegas Inurrieta
• Bodegas Ochoa
• Bodegas Otazu
• Bodegas Valdemar

Navarra Wine Region Guide: Read more

Penedès

Penedès is the heartland of Cava (sparkling wine) production in Spain. Located within Catalonia, just south of Barcelona, it is home to many native white and red varieties. The Mediterranean Sea maintains hot summer temperatures, making it an ideal place for rosé production as the grapes can hold on to their acidity. While some are still rosados made in the region, what’s more common is Cava Rosado, aka sparkling rosé. The wine is produced using the same maceration or clarete techniques mentioned above but following the methode traditionelle to create the carbonation by second fermentation in bottle. The result is an absolutely delicious sparkling wine. The bubbles allow the fresh fruit aromas to shine, making it a delightful, festive, and glamorous drinking experience. 

Spanish wines are diverse, coming from different regions with varying climates and growing a variety of grapes. So, you will find a wide array of styles and profiles in Spanish rosados. Hotter temperatures often make rosé wines with more body and less acidity, while cooler climates often make rosés with crisp acidity and a lighter profile. The grapes also play a very important role as their distinct characteristics appear in the wines, making some rosés more herbaceous. In contrast, others are more fruit-forward, depending on the characteristics of the grape varieties. 

Recommended Producers in Penedes

• Albet i Noya
• Gramona
• Jean Leon
• Juvé & Camps
• Raventos i Blanc

Cava Wine Region Guide: Read more

Somontano

To the west of Navarra, on the way to Catalonia, we find Somontano nestled along the foothills of the Pyrenees. This region is very picturesque, and while lesser-known than some of its neighbors, it is a real up-and-coming region. The high-altitude vineyards with slate and limestone soils create complex rosados with noted minerality, making very gastronomic rosés. This region primarily crafts its wines from native varieties like Garnacha and Moristel, known for their red fruit characters and crisp acidity. 

Recommended Producers in Somontano

• Bodegas Enate
• Bodegas Laus
• Bodega Pirineos
• Bodegas Sommos
• Viñas del Vero

Somontano Wine Region Guide: Read more

Exploring Premium Rosés

In recent years, especially in Spain and globally, there has been a shift towards producing refined rosé wines that offer greater complexity and aging potential. This has challenged the notion that rosé is a simple wine unsuited for gastronomy. Premium rosés are made using a variety of techniques and vary stylistically. One example is oak-aged rosé, which gains structure and complexity from barrel-aging the wine. Not only does the wine express aromas from the oak, but it also ages in contact with the lees, which impart a creamy texture, adding richness and depth.

If you want to try an aged rosé unlike any other in the world, go for Rioja winery Bodegas López de Heredia’s traditional rosado Viña Tondonia, a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Viura aged for four and a half years in barrel. Other producers craft beautiful rosé wines by focusing on growing incredible grapes and achieving natural balance in the vineyard, making sure to pick the grapes at the perfect intersection of acidity, fresh-fruit flavors, and alcohol levels.

One producer who does an excellent example of this is Bodegas Julián Chivite in Navarra. As mentioned, the Spanish claretes offer unique wines that showcase some of Spain’s best old-vine vineyards and indigenous grape varietals, like Tres Navíos clarete from Cigales. And when talking about premium rosés, we cannot forget the sparkling category with excellent Cava Rosados like producer Parés Baltà’s Ros de Pacs. 

Production Details

Rosé wines are defined by the early stages of the winemaking process, such as the maceration or saignée techniques. However, there are important steps throughout the rest of the process that contribute to the wine’s distinct character. Once the juice finishes macerating on the skins, it is racked off and typically fermented in a stainless steel tank. Once fermentation is complete, it ages for a minimum of several months, either in tank, barrel, or whatever vessel the winemaker chooses. A crisper rosado will age in a stainless steel tank, while a fuller-bodied rosé might age in a barrel. Before bottling, it is common to clarify or filter the wine to give it a cleaner appearance and crisper taste. 

Food Pairings

Spanish rosados have great gastronomic versatility and make a great pairing for local Spanish cuisine and many global flavors. Rosé wines’ fresh acidity and notes of strawberries make it a natural match for lighter fare, like cheese and tapas such as croquetas, patatas bravas, or pimientos de padrón. With more body, Rosados from regions like La Rioja or Navarra can hold up beautifully with heartier foods like grilled lamb or pork. Pairing wine and spicy foods, like chorizo, can be difficult due to the competing flavors. However, rosé has a unique ability to cut the spice while still complementing the bold flavors. Internationally, rosé is a great choice for Middle Eastern dishes like falafel or spicy Thai or Indian food. The richness and complexity of the flavors complement these cuisines while keeping the palette fresh with acidity.

En Fin

Spanish rosés, or rosados, offer a wide variety of styles from the country’s unique winemaking regions, grape varieties, and winemaking practices. Once a hidden gem or regarded as a simple wine, it is now a growing category with quality wines that cannot be ignored. From the claretes of Cigales to the aged rosado reservas of the Rioja, there is much to explore in Spanish rosé that pairs with many international cuisines. Cheers to that!