Oeil de Perdrix

Oeil de Perdrix is an old name for very pale rosé wine made by the saignée method, in which the juice of red grapes is drawn off and fermented with little contact with the skins. Its name means "eye of the partridge" in French, a reference to its pale pink colour. [cite book| last = Robinson| first = Jancis| authorlink = Jancis Robinson| title = The Oxford Companion to Wine, third edition| publisher = Oxford University Press| date = 2006| location = | pages = 492 | id = 978-0198609902] The history of the wine style dates back to the Middle Ages in the Champagne region of France and from there spread to Switzerland where it would become a popular dry rosé made from Pinot noir. The early origins of the American wine White Zinfandel can be traced to a California winemakers attempt at making an Oeil de Perdrix style wine.

History

The Oeil de Perdrix style of wine is believed to have originated in the Middle Ages in Champagne region of France, prior to that region's development of the sparkling wine style that would take its name. During this period the Champenois were in competition with the Burgundy wine region for the favor of the Royal court and the lucrative Paris market. Red wine was particularly popular during this period and the northern location of the Champagne region had difficulties competing with the more fuller bodied wines of Burgundy. Winemakers in Aÿ, Marne began experimenting with creating a fuller bodied white wine from red wine grapes that the Champenois could uniquely market. Despite their best efforts, the Champenois did not have the technical expertise to make a truly "white" wine from red grapes, instead producing slightly pale colored wines which became known as "Oeil de Perdrix" or the "eye of the partridge". Centuries later, a Benedictine monk named Dom Pérignon would eventually perfect the method of white wine from red grape production that would be a vital component in the success of sparkling Champagne wine. H. Johnson "Vintage: The Story of Wine" pg 212 & 270 Simon and Schuster 1989 ISBN 0671687026 ]

Wine styles

Oeil de Perdrix used to be a particular speciality of the area around Neuchâtel in Switzerland, where it was made from Pinot Noir grapes. It still has some presence in Swiss wine as a dry rose style made from the free run (i.e. not pressed) juices of Pinot noir. The wine is meant to be chilled and consumed young. T. Stevenson "The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia" pg 295 Dorling Kindersley 2005 ISBN 0756613248 ] From there the name spread in the manner of a genericized trademark, and is now often seen on wines from Champagne. Vin gris is a more general term to describe such wine.

White Zinfandel

Perhaps the most successful Oeil de Perdrix wine was made from Zinfandel at Sutter Home Winery. In 1975, this wine experienced a stuck fermentation, and the pink, sweet style of White Zinfandel, that would go on to enjoy massive commercial success, was thus accidentally born. Bob Trinchero originally planned to name the new wine Oeil de Perdrix, but the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) demanded that Trinchero translate the name, so he added "White Zinfandel" to the label. [ [http://www.zinfandel.org/about_zin/zinposium/ Zinposium 2002: A Major Event. Vineyard & Winery Management Sep/Oct 2002] ]

References

External links

* [http://chefvault.com/white-zinfandel-history.html History of White Zinfandel]