Winemaker Notes
The Villa Wolf Pinot Noir Rosé is made with fruit from vineyards that are farmed expressly for the purpose of producing a true rosé (no saignée or coloring with red wine). Only perfectly ripe, healthy grapes are selected. Upon harvest the fruit is given a brief maceration (four to six hours) to extract a lovely pink color from the Pinot Noir grapes. The wine is delicate and refreshing, with deliciously bright fruit flavors and a clean, zippy finish.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
This sunny and relatively dry region served for many years as a German tourist mecca and was associated with low cost, cheerful wines. But since the 1980s, it has gained a reputation as one of Germany’s more innovative regions, which has led to increased international demand.