In rosé production via saignée, which juice is used to make the rosé?

• A. The juice pressed from white grapes
• B. The juice pressed after full maceration
• C. The bled juice from red grapes during maceration
• D. The juice left after removing skins

Answer: (C)

In rosé production via saignée, the juice used is the juice bled from red grapes during maceration. The idea is to remove a portion of juice early, while the skins are still in contact with the liquid. That bleeding pulls color from the grape skins into the juice, giving it the pink hue. Meanwhile, the remaining must continues to ferment with the skins, producing a fuller red wine. This method relies on the juice being in contact with red skins during the bleeding; it’s not juice pressed from white grapes, nor juice pressed after full maceration, and it’s not juice left after removing skins, which would lack the pigment transfer that creates rosé.