To produce rosé wines, winemakers use the same grapes from your favorite red wines. What causes the pink hue is a different fermentation process. While red wines ferment in contact with grape skins for days or even weeks, rosé wines do so for just a few hours. The more a wine stays in contact with grape skin, the more its dark its color becomes. Each region has a different method to make these pinkish wines. For example, the French use different techniques than Italians, but they obtain the same palette of pink nuances. 

Some rosé varieties start as red wines, and then the producers add charcoal to obtain a paler color. In other cases, winemakers remove some of the color from red wines and use the leftovers for rosé. That's why many pink wines are more sustainable than you may think. 

Most rosé varieties come from France and Italy, but there are also a few from the United States. The region of Provence in France produces the Côtes de Provence AOC (appellation d'origine contrôlée or "controlled designation of origin” in English) and the Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence AOC as well as darker varieties like the Bandol AOC.

As for Italy, it produces Bagnoli di Sopra, Bardolino Chiaretto DOC (denominazione di origine controllata or "denomination of controlled origin" in English), Etna Rosato DOC and many other pinkish wine varieties. Italian regions also offer many rosé sparkling wines to celebrate special occasions.

Light and dry rosé wines, like Bardolino Chiaretto, pair well with light dishes like salads and delicate pasta dishes. They can also complement some types of seafood like shellfish. Fruity rosé varieties like Bandol taste good with lobster, salmon, tuna, Camembert, brie and lamb meats. 

Find your favorite rosé on Drizly. Check out these links to search for Drizly in your city, and look for liquor stores on Drizly near you.