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Rose wine - Gris


Diana

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Why does rose wine often have the word 'gris' in the name.  To be gris means gray and I always think rose is such a beautiful colour when poured into a glass not at all gray.  I ckecked the dictionary and it gave a lot of other fairly obscure meanings including 'tipsy' but nothing that seemed to relate to wine.

Thanks

Diana

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Vin Gris normally refers to a particular style of Rose where , prior to fermentation, the juice is left a very short time in contact with the skin. No more than a few hours! That way the must is delicately colored.

Commonly this technique is used with Pinot Noir grapes - I think that is where the the term Gris (or Grey) comes into it

Hagar

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According to Le Petit Robert the use of the word gris here, as in ambre gris, does not denote colour but a particular type (of vin or ambre).

As Hagar says, it refers to wines made, like white wine, without maceration.

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