Describe Rosé champagne in terms of style.

• A. It is balanced with none of the tannic grip
• B. It is structured with a delicately tannic grip; most are made by adding 8-20% still red wine (Pinot Noir) to the base wine before the prise de mousse.
• C. It is always pale with no color and no tannin
• D. It is characterized by heavy oak aging

Answer: (B)

Rosé champagne is built to show pink color with a gentle, palate-light tannic touch. The usual way to achieve that is by blending a portion of still red wine, typically Pinot Noir, into the white base wine before the second fermentation (prise de mousse). The common proportion, about 8–20%, gives enough pigment to create the pink hue while preserving bright acidity and finesse, resulting in a wine with red-fruit aroma and a delicate structure rather than a heavy tannic bite. Oak aging is not a characteristic of rosé champagne, which aims for freshness and elegance rather than woody extraction.