Why No Red Champagne or Rosé Prosecco in 2016?

This is a topic that many people ask and are usually still baffled by, many will obviously just assume that there are indeed rosé Prosecco’s and no real need for a red Champagne as they are so used to seeing just white or rosé. If you think about things, the three main grapes used in making Champagne (Chardonnay. Pinot Meunier. Pinot Noir) two of them are black grapes and ideal for making red wine – So why do we rarely see anything above a deep red rosé?

Prosecco, which just like Champagne, is a wine region and not necessarily the name of the wine itself, has strict criteria that growers need to adhere to and also produces a set selection of grapes which it is made from with Glera (white grape) being the most common. The rules of Prosecco wine making means that the only upto 15% of the grapes used can be other types to include mostly white varieties of Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Glera lunga, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Nero which makes for making rosé somewhat difficult. “The Consortiums that govern Prosecco don’t allow a blended rosé Prosecco to be labelled as such. To be called Prosecco, the wine can only be made from white grapes”

Champagne, which is loved internationally, is a much more delicate, complex and lighter wine and the idea of producing a red option with the added tannins and body would not suit the taste in which consumers have come to expect.