Wine Making Guide: English Rosé Wine

English rosé is often made from Pinot grapes in a pale, dry style with bright acidity and delicate red fruit. The aim is freshness and balance, with just enough colour from the grape skins to give the wine its blush.

The early stages make the difference: gentle pressing and limited skin contact shape the colour and texture, while fermentation choices help preserve the fruit. At Dillions, our Pinot Rosé 2023 is a blend of 64% Pinot Noir and 36% Pinot Noir Précoce, whole-bunch pressed and fermented in stainless steel.

Rosé does not need the same level of skin extraction as red wine. England’s cool climate can suit a style built around pale colour, bright acidity and precise fruit.

The Process:  English Rosé Wine

Picking. The aim is a balance of ripe flavour, freshness and healthy fruit. The timing depends on the variety, season and intended style.

Getting the colour. Rosé takes its colour from black grape skins. Direct pressing limits extraction by pressing the fruit early. Saignée takes juice from a red wine fermentation after a period of skin contact, often giving a deeper-coloured style. These are different approaches, not a ranking of quality.

Pressing and settling. Gentle pressing helps keep colour and tannin extraction restrained. Our Pinot Rosé 2023 was whole-bunch pressed to keep the colour pale, then cold settled before fermentation.

Fermentation. Stainless steel contributes no oak flavour and is well suited to preserving fresh fruit character. Our 2023 rosé was fermented in 100% stainless steel. Fermentation temperature and yeast choice vary between producers and wines.

After fermentation and bottling. Ageing, clarification and bottling decisions depend on the wine. Malolactic fermentation can soften acidity, but whether it is used is a separate production choice. Our rose typically undergoes a partial natural malolactic fermentation.

The effect on the wine

Gentle pressing and limited extraction give a pale rosé with a delicate texture rather than the tannic structure of a red. Fermentation in stainless steel lets the fruit character lead without adding oak flavour.

Our Pinot Rosé 2023 shows strawberry, redcurrant and citrus zest, with a crisp, dry finish. At 11.0% ABV, with 0.5 g/L residual sugar and acidity of 6.8 g/L, it is a fresh, delicate expression of our Pinot grapes.

Colour is not a reliable guide to sweetness. It reflects extraction from the skins, while dryness depends on the sugar remaining in the finished wine.

Our approach at Dillions

Our Pinot Rosé 2023 is made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Noir Précoce grown at Dillions in the High Weald, in partnership with Defined Wines in Kent. The blend is 64% Pinot Noir and 36% Pinot Noir Précoce, with no Pinot Meunier.

The whole bunches were gently pressed to keep the colour pale and the fruit fresh. The juice was cold settled, then fermented in 100% stainless steel to preserve freshness.

Dry at 11.0% ABV, it has 0.5 g/L residual sugar and acidity of 6.8 g/L. Expect strawberry, redcurrant and citrus zest with a clean, refreshing finish.

Enjoy it with summer salads, grilled prawns or charcuterie, or on its own in the garden.

English Rosé Wine: Frequently asked questions

How is rosé wine made?

Rosé is generally made from black grapes with limited extraction of colour from the skins. The fruit may be pressed directly, or the juice separated after a short period of skin contact, before fermentation without the skins. Our Pinot Rosé 2023 was gently whole-bunch pressed, cold settled and fermented in stainless steel.
Is rosé just red and white wine mixed together?

Our Pinot Rosé is not a mixture of finished red and white wines. The pale colour comes from the skins of the Pinot Noir and Pinot Noir Précoce grapes during gentle whole-bunch pressing. The juice is then cold settled and fermented in stainless steel.
What is the difference between direct press and saignée rosé?

Direct pressing extracts juice from black grapes early, limiting colour and tannin extraction. Saignée draws off juice from fruit intended for red wine after a period of skin contact, often producing a deeper colour and more structure. At Dillions, the whole bunches for our Pinot Rosé 2023 were gently pressed to keep the colour pale and the fruit fresh.
Does the colour of a rosé tell you how sweet it is?

No. Colour records how long the juice spent in contact with the skins, not how much sugar is in the wine. A deeply coloured rosé can be completely dry and a very pale one can be off-dry. The label and the producer are better guides than the glass.
Why is English rosé usually made from Pinot grapes?

Pinot varieties can bring the delicate red fruit and freshness suited to dry rosé. Our 2023 blend uses 64% Pinot Noir and 36% Pinot Noir Précoce, both grown at Dillions. Other English rosés may use different varieties or blends, including Pinot Meunier.
Should rosé be drunk young?

Many dry rosés are made to be enjoyed for their freshness and aromatic fruit, which change with time in bottle. The right drinking window depends on the individual wine and how it has been stored; a specific window for our Pinot Rosé 2023 has not been established here. Serve around 8–10°C to bring out its fresh fruit character.