The story
Rosé in Stellenbosch
The colour of a rosé tells you nothing about its sweetness, so ask whether it is dry.
Stellenbosch rosé is made from red grapes given only brief contact with their skins, and it ranges from bone-dry to sweet. Pinotage, Cabernet Franc and Mourvèdre all turn up in local pinks, and several estates also make a sparkling Cap Classique rosé.
How it's made and what to ask
Colour comes from the skins of red grapes. Some cellars press the grapes straight away, some let the juice sit on the skins for a few hours, and some bleed off juice from a tank of red wine, a method called saignée.
The useful question at the tasting counter is whether it is dry. Cape rosé covers everything from bone-dry to sweet, and the colour won't tell you which.






















































