Saignée [pronunciation: say-nee]
Literally, a “bleeding.” A process of making rosé wines in which color is derived from maceration and a cold-soak on the skins rather than by a blend of red wine. Saignée sparkling wine tends to produce rosés that are darker in color and more pungent in aroma than their red-dosage counterparts. Advocates of the saignée method prefer its bold fruitiness, which they sometimes feel is more authentic than blending red and white wine together. Critics of saignée say that it can lack finesse, and also that its production is irregular, unable to be consistently reproduced from year to year.
See also: Rosé
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