Currently Rosé is in a renaissance in South Africa and the rest of the world. With Rosé's being the flavor of the season, many producers are adding pink to their ranges. There are three different ways to produce Rosé wines.
The first, and most common type of production method in South Africa is to blend a white and a red wine together.
The second kind, which is most often used in France, is called Saignee, or Bleeding. This involves taking a small amount of the liquid from a barrel of fermenting red wine. This is done in order to improve its color and tannin content. The liquid which is taken off is then fermented in another barrel, and becomes rosé.
The third method, is known as skin contact. In this method, red grapes are stripped of their stems and crushed before being placed in a fermentation tank. Rather than laying there with the grape skins for several weeks, as a red wine does, the skins are taken away quickly, sometimes only a few hours after crushing. This brief contact allows the wine to become colored, but it does not turn it the dark red of wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is then turned into either a dry, off-dry or a sweet Rosé wine.
The flavors of Rosé wines tends to be more subtle versions of their red wine varietal counterparts. The fruit expectations lean towards strawberry, cherry, and raspberry with some citrus and watermelon presenting on a regular basis.