Provence rosé is named for a place: rosé from Provence, in southern France, usually blended from Mediterranean grapes such as Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Rosé of Pinot Noir is named for a grape: it’s made only from Pinot Noir and can come from anywhere Pinot grows, including our family’s vineyard in Oregon’s Rogue Valley.
Both are usually dry, pale and good with food. Here’s how they differ, using our own rosé as the Pinot Noir example.
Where does Provence rosé come from?
Provence runs along France’s Mediterranean coast. Rosé is about 88% of the region’s production, and the largest appellation, Côtes de Provence, makes about three quarters of the region’s wine, most of it rosé.
The climate is Mediterranean. The region gets roughly 2,700 to 3,000 hours of sun a year, and the Mistral, a strong north wind, keeps the vineyards dry. Each appellation sets its own grape list, so a Provence rosé is usually a blend, and the mix changes from one producer to the next.
What makes rosé of Pinot Noir different?
It’s one grape. Every rosé of Pinot Noir starts with Pinot Noir and nothing else, so the flavors lean toward Pinot’s red fruit like strawberry and cherry, with fresh acidity.
Where the grapes grow matters as much as it does in Provence. The juice of Pinot Noir is nearly clear; the color comes from the skins. How long the juice sits on the skins, when the grapes are picked and how warm the site is all change the color and taste of the finished wine.
How do the two compare?
| Provence rosé | Rosé of Pinot Noir (ours) | |
|---|---|---|
| Grapes | Usually a blend: Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre and others | 100% Pinot Noir |
| Where it’s grown | Provence, southern France | Anywhere Pinot grows; ours is Block One of our estate in Eagle Point, Oregon |
| Climate | Mediterranean; sunny, with a dry wind (the Mistral) | Ours: hot days, cold nights, dry summers and rainy springs at 1,525 to 1,650 ft |
| How it gets its color | Brief contact between juice and skins; methods vary by producer | Ours: 6 hours on the skins, then fermented in stainless steel |
| Color | Often pale | Ours: salmon pink |
| Flavor | Depends on the blend and the producer | Ours: white peach, ripe strawberry, delicate florals and crisp minerality |
How do we make our rosé?
Our 2023 Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir comes from Block One, the first part of our vineyard we planted in 2017. We hand harvested in late September 2023, left the juice on the skins for six hours to pick up color, then fermented and stored it in stainless steel. It’s dry and 12.8% alcohol.
Our vineyard sits where the Rogue Valley meets the foothills of the Cascade Range. It’s a cool site for the area, with big swings between day and night temperatures. The warm days ripen the fruit and the cold nights hold the acidity, which is what keeps a rosé fresh.
In the glass it’s salmon pink, with white peach, ripe strawberry and delicate florals, crisp minerality and a clean, dry finish. It scored 90 Points from JamesSuckling.com, and the note describes a salmon color with cherries and plums on the nose. The 2023 Estate Rosé is $35 a bottle, sold in threes.
Which one should I pour?
If you like Provence rosé, try a rosé of Pinot Noir next to it. Both are usually dry and easy with food; the difference you’ll notice is in the fruit, since one bottle is a blend and the other is a single grape.
We like ours with grilled or roasted salmon, Dungeness crab, goat cheese and Thai dishes with moderate heat. More ideas are in What to Eat with Rosé of Pinot Noir.
Serve it chilled, or at about 54°F if you want more of the aromatics to show. Either way, let it warm a little in the glass.
Quick answers
Is Provence rosé made from Pinot Noir? Usually not; it’s most often a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre.
What is rosé of Pinot Noir? A rosé made only from Pinot Noir, which can come from any region that grows the grape.
How does rosé get its pink color? From the grape skins; the juice spends a short time on them, six hours in the case of our 2023 Estate Rosé.
Is your rosé of Pinot Noir dry? Yes. Our 2023 Estate Rosé is dry, with white peach, ripe strawberry and crisp minerality.
Where is your rosé grown? In Block One of our estate vineyard in Eagle Point, in Oregon’s Rogue Valley.
Every review of our wines is on our Press & Ratings page, and you can order in our shop.