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The Department of Agriculture of South Africa has now approved the production of rosé wines pressed from white wines and stored in barrels that previously contained red wine. The small Mooi Bly winery in Paarl used this process for the first time in 2020, as owner Lisbeth Wouters explains: "We had some Chenin Blanc left and there was no more room in our stainless steel tanks. So we decided to age it in French oak barrels that had already been used for our Malbec, as we knew the wine would take on a bit of colour." Based on the positive result, she applied for a permit to market the wine in this way. This has now been granted.
According to the rules, the white wine must be matured for at least two months in barrels in which red wine was previously matured. The colour of the wine must be typical of a classic rosé. No red wine may be added to the white wine. The indications on the label are also clearly regulated. In addition, the wineries must announce their intention to produce such a wine before the harvest.
Mooi Bly's Chenin Rosé is mainly sold in Belgium, the original home of winemaker Lisbeth Wouters, and costs the same as her classic Chenin Blanc at around ten euros consumer price. She sees the white wine rosé as a differentiator from other wineries, which other South African wineries can now follow.
(al / Source: vitisphere; Photo: Mooi Bly)