The History of Rosé

As with red and white wines, even rosé wines have their own special history. The first ever mention comes from Hippocrates, in approximately 400 BC. The father of medicine exhorted his patients to consume a refreshing and delectable beverage of a pale red hue. Whether this wine was produced especially as such, that is for medicinal purposes, or whether it was a pure coincidence, however, we will most likely never find out.

The first ever mention comes from Hippocrates, in approximately 400 BC.

We think of the Middle Ages as a time of important expansion for the production of light red and pink-coloured wines, especially in the French vineyards, where both the Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris varieties were planted side by side thus giving rise to wines of lighter colour. This trend lasted until the 17th century.

The production of pale red or pinkish wines was already under way in the Czech lands during the 16th century. Other than the cultivars used for the production of white wine, the most planted black grape varieties were Pinot Noir and later also Frankovka (a.k.a. Lemberger or Blaufränkisch) and Blauer Portugieser. Small-scale winemakers with mixed plantings had to rely on pressing their crushed grapes in communal presses or using the facilities of the owners of the large wine estates. Due to the lengthy waiting times the pulp from their mixed white and black grapes created juice that was tinted pink.