One of the wines you want to drink in spring is rosé. With its beautiful pink color, vibrant aroma, juicy fruitiness, refreshing acidity, and refined finish, it’s an attractive wine category. This time, to celebrate the “arrival of rosé season,” we introduce three Japanese rosé wines recommended by CRAFT WINE SHOP. Japanese rosé wines are high quality worldwide and offer excellent cost performance. Please use this as a reference when choosing your spring rosé wine.
Introducing the Charm of Rosé Wine
Rosé wine is a category of wine with a beautiful pink appearance. There are various production methods, but it is mainly made from black grapes using the same process as red wine up to a point, then finished like white wine. Simply put, the skins, seeds, and juice of black grapes are fermented together until lightly colored, then pressed, followed by alcoholic fermentation and aging like white wine. There are various taste styles, from dry to sweet, but dry rosé is the global mainstream and is becoming dominant in Japan as well. Generally, rosé is made fresh and fruity to avoid oxidation, often fermented in stainless steel tanks, though recently, more powerful types aged in oak barrels have appeared. The season when you most want to drink rosé is spring. Let’s revisit the charm of rosé wine.
Is Rosé Wine a Spring Drink?
In Japan, rosé wine is associated with “spring wine” (though it’s delicious all year round! Globally, summer is more common due to its vacation image). This is mainly because the pink color and “spring flowers = cherry blossoms” naturally connect, but there’s more to it. Here are the reasons why rosé wine is recommended for spring.
Freshness and Fruitiness Capture the Spirit of Spring
As mentioned above, rosé wines are often made to be fresh and fruity, offering a vibrant aroma and sharp acidity. Their body is softer than red wine but more powerful than white wine, generally falling between light and medium-bodied. Rosé, which combines the best qualities of red and white wines, is the perfect wine for the still-chilly early spring.
Perfect for Spring Ingredients
Rosé wine is a versatile type that pairs well with a wide range of ingredients and dishes. Its moderate fruitiness, juicy flavor, sharp acidity, light yet rich taste, and subtle tannins (bitterness) give it the potential to complement foods that are usually challenging to pair with wine. Spring is the season for delicious bitter ingredients like wild vegetables, asparagus, bamboo shoots, and seri (Japanese parsley). Also, bitter-tasting seafood such as young ayu fish, halfbeak, rockfish, firefly squid, and turban shell become available. This bitterness pairs well with rosé wine, making for an impressive pairing with spring dishes. Rosé also shines during fun gatherings with dishes like chirashi sushi (vinegared rice), spicy Chinese dishes like chili shrimp, and ethnic cuisine.
Enjoying a Variety of Styles is Fun
Even though rosé wine is often spoken of as one category, it actually comes in various styles. Differences in sweetness levels—dry, medium-sweet, sweet—are just one aspect. Styles also vary depending on the grape varieties used and winemaking methods. Japanese rosé wines are diverse and crafted in many different styles as described below.
- Provence Rosé
- Spanish Rosado
- Italian Rosato
- California Rosé
Provence rosé is dry and elegant, featuring aromas of strawberry, watermelon, citrus, herbs, and a mineral character. Spanish rosado is rich and fruity, with aromas of cherry, raspberry, and spices, characterized by its powerful and intense style. Italian rosato offers distinct red fruit and floral aromas with sharp acidity, pairing well with tomato-based dishes. California rosé is a juicy style with a slight sweetness, making it approachable and versatile with a wide range of dishes. For wine lovers gathering with various rosé wines, tasting these different styles to discover your favorite can be a fun experience.
CWS Recommendations! 3 Japanese Rosé Wines to Enjoy in Spring!
Japanese rosé wines are known worldwide for their high quality. Many are elegant and well-balanced in aroma, acidity, flavor, and finish, making them versatile with food pairings. Of course, their vibrant appearance is also a given. Here, we introduce three Japanese rosé wines recommended by CWS for enjoying in spring.
Tsunou Wine / Campbell Early 2025
Tsunou Wine, a popular winery in Tsunou Town, Miyazaki Prefecture, produces a sweet rosé wine made from the charmingly sweet and sour Campbell Early grape. It has a deep color and a strong impression. The wine features aromas of robust red fruits like strawberry and acerola, along with sweet aromas of stone fruits such as white peach and cherry. Swirling the glass reveals refreshing mint-like notes and citrus bitterness, adding complexity. With refreshing acidity and gentle bitterness, this sweet rosé offers a refined and high-quality impression.
Tsunou Wine / Campbell Early 2025
1,760 yen (tax included)
Hiroshima Miyoshi Winery / TOMOE Miyoshi Rosé
Hiroshima Miyoshi Winery, known as a leading winery in Hiroshima and Japan, offers the popular TOMOE series rosé made from Merlot and Syrah, resulting in a dry style. The rich fruit aroma reminiscent of yellow peach and pear expresses its high quality. This medium-bodied rosé balances concentrated, rich fruit flavors with sharp acidity. Its youthful, juicy taste is also appealing. Try pairing it with slightly rich dishes like chili shrimp.
Hiroshima Miyoshi Winery / TOMOE Miyoshi Rosé
Including tax, 1,980 yen
Chitose Winery / Kita Wine Pinot Noir Rosé 2024
Chitose Winery was established as the second winery of Chuo Budoshu Co., Ltd. (Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture). Known for cultivating high-quality Pinot Noir, this rosé wine is also made from that Pinot Noir. The luxurious juice extracted using the saignée method, often used for premium rosé wines, is fermented in French oak barrels. It has a pale and beautiful salmon pink color, a complex aroma, and a juicy flavor that tantalizes the senses. With fresh acidity and a clean, dry finish, it pairs well with delicate dishes. This is a luxurious rosé wine that lets you purely enjoy the deliciousness of Pinot Noir.
Chitose Winery / Kita Wine Pinot Noir Rosé 2024
3,850 yen including tax
Summary
Rosé wine is the perfect wine for the coming spring season.
Rosé wine embraces everything that spring brings: cherry blossoms, refreshing weather, and seasonal ingredients. If you’re choosing a wine for the upcoming season, go for rosé.
Please be sure to get your hands on the Japanese rosé wines recommended by CWS introduced in this article.
