An embarrassing number of wine drinkers believe rosé is made by mixing red and white

One in 10 wine drinkers believe all rosé is made by mixing white and red, according to a poll.

The color and flavor of most rosé, which is usually made from red grapes, is due to early harvesting of the grapes and the short time the crushed fruit’s skins remain in the juice. 

This type of wine can also be a byproduct of red winemaking — a process called ‘saignée’.

Although some winemakers in Australia and occasionally New Zealand make rosé from a blend of red and white wines, this is prohibited in the EU – with the exception of rosé champagne.

This isn’t the only common misconception about wine, according to a poll of 2,000 adults by M&S.

It found 49 percent of rosé drinkers typically consume this variety of wine at the wrong temperature.

According to experts, rosé should served between 7–13°C (44.6–55.4°F) and is best removed from the fridge 15 minutes beforehand.

Other common misconceptions in the first M&S #WineWorries ‘Mythbusting’ Report include that red wine should never be refrigerated and you should never add ice cubes to a glass. 

Winemaker for the retailer, Belinda Kleinig, said: “It’s a common misconception that rosé needs to be served ice cold.

“And in fact serving wine too cold can mute its fruity flavours and hide some of the aromas.

“The optimum temperature for enjoying rosé is between 7–13°C, meaning it’s best to take it out of the fridge about 15 minutes to half an hour before drinking so it isn’t overchilled.

“That said, if it’s a particularly warm day there is absolutely nothing wrong with adding a few ice cubes to your glass of rosé – even wine experts do this themselves.”

The study also found twice as many respondents who drink rosé prefer pale rosé (30 percent) to dark (14 percent).

With 10 percent believing paler rosé means better quality – which isn’t always the case, according to experts.

Just 15 percent of everyone polled correctly believe rosé can be used to make wine cocktails.

And only 18 percent rightly think it’s acceptable to put ice cubes in a glass of rosé to cool it down – even on a hot day.

It also emerged, only 17 percent of those who drink red would ever put it in the fridge – although experts advise some reds benefit from being lightly chilled.

These include lighter fruity styles such as Pinot Noir, Grenache or Garnacha, Cinsault and Found Marzemino from Northeast Italy.

While 25 percent of everyone polled don’t know how long a bottle of wine will keep for after being opened.

Only 34 percent rightly think wine in a can or a box can be the same quality as bottled wine.

And just 28 percent have tried wine from a pouch – even though it often keeps longer once opened than bottled varieties.

Carried out through OnePoll, the study also found although 29 percent have heard of orange wine – eight percent wrongly believe it is fortified with orange liqueur.

While only 11 percent are familiar with what Pét Nat is — a sparkling wine bottled before initial fermentation has ended.

Joseph Arthur, M&S senior wine buyer, said: “Despite what the name might suggest, orange wine has nothing to do with oranges.

“It’s a type of wine that’s made from white grapes that are fermented with their skins still on, just like when making red wine.

“This gives it a beautiful amber colour and a unique flavour that’s a bit richer and more complex than regular white wine.

“It’s a great choice for anyone looking to try something different and exciting.”