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- As with red wine, the fermentation process<\/strong> is started using the skins to impart their colour and flavours. For ros\u00e9, this so-called maceration process is stopped after just 48 hours, instead of the usual 2 or 3 weeks for red wine.<\/li>\n
- The next step is pressing the wine.<\/strong><\/li>\n
- The wine then ferments further at a chilled temperature<\/strong>, as with white wine. This retains the freshness.<\/li>\n
- When the fermentation and resting period are complete, the wine is stabilised, filtered and bottled<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Another method of making ros\u00e9 is to \u2018blend\u2019 red and white wine<\/strong>. Oxfam Fair Trade\u2019s non-sparkling ros\u00e9 wines from Argentina and South Africa are never \u2018blended\u2019, however. In fact, in Europe the only wines permitted to be \u2018blended\u2019 are sparkling wines and champagnes. That\u2019s how our Chilean Sensus Brut Ros\u00e9<\/a> is made.<\/p>\n
A gamut of colours and flavours<\/h2>\n
The result of these processes?<\/p>\n
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- a beautiful ros\u00e9 colour, lighter or darker depending on the duration of the maceration period and the type of grape used; different sorts of grape contain differing levels of natural pigmentation<\/li>\n
- a refreshing wine<\/li>\n
- light, fruity flavours<\/li>\n
- low tannin content<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The crucial challenge for every ros\u00e9-winemaker is to seek out the perfect combination<\/strong> of colour and flavour<\/strong>, freshness and fruitiness.<\/p>\n
Facts about Oxfam\u2019s ros\u00e9 wines<\/h3>\n
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- All Oxfam\u2019s ros\u00e9 wines are 100% fair trade and 100% vegan<\/strong><\/a> (with the exception of the organic Argentinian Syrah).<\/li>\n
- We offer a varied assortment in the formats 25 cl, 75 cl and 3 l bag-in-box.<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Ros\u00e9 wines have a short shelf life and should be consumed while they\u2019re still young, ideally within two years of their vintage. As such, this type of wine is not suitable for ageing<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- All of Oxfam\u2019s ros\u00e9 wines are dry, with a low residual sugar content (< 5 g\/l). In other words: we don\u2019t have any sweet ros\u00e9s<\/strong>. Our sparkling ros\u00e9 wine has the highest residual sugar content of all our ros\u00e9s, although this is still well within the norm of < 15 g\/l for a brut sparkling wine.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Diverse origins, diverse flavours<\/h2>\n
The variety, ripeness, and concentration of the grape also influence the flavour. For example, the ripeness of the grape determines the sweetness: the riper the grape, the sweeter the wine.<\/p>\n
South-African grapes and blends<\/h3>\n
The Pinotage grape<\/strong> is a popular South-African grape that we made sure to include in our range of ros\u00e9s. This grape is not so highly pigmented in itself. It is actually a cross between the Pinot Noir and Cinsault grapes. The Pinotage grape offers generous flavours of red fruit, such as redcurrant, and has a distinctly smoky character. These flavours are most prominent in the red wine produced from it but can also be detected in the finish of its ros\u00e9s. The ideal accompaniment to a summer BBQ!<\/p>\n
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- The Koopmanskloof Pinotage ros\u00e9<\/a> is bursting with flavour thanks to the lower tonnage of grapes harvested per hectare. This increases the concentration of the grape and thus the wine. This wine is bottled at the bottling facility near Stellenbosch.<\/li>\n
- Our Shiraz-Pinotage<\/a> is, as the name suggests, a blend of two grape varieties. The fruity and subtly smoky Pinotage is boosted in colour and complemented in flavour by the Shiraz, with its fruity and spicy notes. This wine is somewhat lower in concentration and is shipped to Belgium in bulk containers. It is then bottled here in Belgium. This enables us to offer a somewhat more inexpensive ros\u00e9 that, needless to say, still boasts an excellent price-quality ratio. This wine is available in 25 cl and 75 cl bottles or a 3 l bag-in-box.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Argentinian powerhouse<\/h3>\n
Our Argentinian partner La Riojana has in recent years come to specialise in organic wines<\/strong>. In addition to their red and white organic wines, we also offer their excellent organic ros\u00e9: the BIO La Posada Syrah ros\u00e9<\/a>. This is a fuller-bodied ros\u00e9, very much suitable for drinking with a meal. Naturally, this wine meets all the organic production criteria, in both the vineyard and the winery.<\/p>\n
Sparkling ros\u00e9 from Chile<\/h3>\n
On the other side of the Andes, in Chile\u2019s Elqui Valley, the cooperative CAPEL makes our Sensus Brut sparkling ros\u00e9<\/a>. The non-sparkling wine on which this delightful sparkling ros\u00e9 is based is a mix of white wine produced from Pedro Jimenez grapes<\/strong> and 1% red wine made from Cabernet and\/or Carmen\u00e8re grapes<\/strong>. This blend of red and white wine then goes into the Charmat tank by the 10,000 litres (approx.) for a second fermentation. After a month in the vat the sparkling wine is bottled under constant pressure and shipped by boat to the Oxfam Fair Trade Logistics depot.<\/p>\n
Looking to purchase some wine?<\/h2>\n
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- Discover our assortment of ros\u00e9s.<\/a><\/li>\n
- Still devoted to red or white? View our full range.<\/a><\/li>\n
- Looking for a particular grape or region? Or for only vegan or organic wines? Consult the Oxfam wine assistant<\/a> app (Dutch only).<\/li>\n
- For a tailored quote, contact our wine team<\/a>. They\u2019ll be more than happy to help you pick out the perfect wine(s) for your needs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n\n\n\n\t\n \t![\"Oxfam](\"https:\/\/www.oxfamfairtrade.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/20154-400x400.jpg\")
\t\n\t\t\t - Still devoted to red or white? View our full range.<\/a><\/li>\n
- Our Shiraz-Pinotage<\/a> is, as the name suggests, a blend of two grape varieties. The fruity and subtly smoky Pinotage is boosted in colour and complemented in flavour by the Shiraz, with its fruity and spicy notes. This wine is somewhat lower in concentration and is shipped to Belgium in bulk containers. It is then bottled here in Belgium. This enables us to offer a somewhat more inexpensive ros\u00e9 that, needless to say, still boasts an excellent price-quality ratio. This wine is available in 25 cl and 75 cl bottles or a 3 l bag-in-box.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- We offer a varied assortment in the formats 25 cl, 75 cl and 3 l bag-in-box.<\/strong><\/li>\n
- All Oxfam\u2019s ros\u00e9 wines are 100% fair trade and 100% vegan<\/strong><\/a> (with the exception of the organic Argentinian Syrah).<\/li>\n
- The next step is pressing the wine.<\/strong><\/li>\n
![\"Oxfam](\"https:\/\/www.oxfamfairtrade.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/20413-400x400.jpg\")
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