Saignée

Saignée, a French term meaning "bleeding," refers to a winemaking technique used primarily in the production of rosé wines. It is a method of drawing off a portion of juice from a red wine fermentation early in the process. This extracted juice is then fermented separately to create a rosé. The remaining juice in the tank, which has been in contact with the red grape skins for a longer period, continues its fermentation to become a more concentrated red wine. This method allows winemakers to produce both a rosé and a more intense red wine from the same batch of grapes. The color and flavor profile of the resulting rosé can vary depending on how early the juice is drawn off and the type of red grape used. Popular grape varietals for saignée rosés include Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. This technique is distinct from blending red and white wines to make rosé, which is a less common practice, particularly in Europe. Saignée is considered a more integrated approach to rosé production, as the rosé itself is a direct "bleeding" from a red wine must.