Rose Proves Perfect in Pink.

• Position: WINE MAKING

Jim Harbertson sees through rose-colored glasses--finely tuned shades and hues ranging from blush and coral to berry jam. Harbertson, a wine researcher at Washington State University-Tri-Cities, Richland, has become a specialist in the science of pinkesque pretty.

With the rose wine craze in full bloom and warmer weather helping to catapult its popularity, thanks to the associate professor of enology's research, you can judge a rose by its color. "More than other wine types, color heavily influences consumers' perceptions of rose. This makes winemakers particularly mindful of achieving just the right color."

Rose stands apart from other wines in its diversity of hues, shades, and tints. Though aroma and flavor are important to consumers, studies say the No. 1 factor is its pinkish charm. Rose's color also signifies its style. A light-colored rose is expected to be a lighter-bodied wine and a darker one to be more full bodied.

However, nailing down the right color can be tricky. Rose is made by exposing dark wine grape skins to the juice for a short time--typically two to 48 hours--until it reaches a desired color. The challenge is that perfect pink lightens during fermenting and then darkens after being bottled. "You lose about 60 to 70% of the initial color depending on how much color you start out with. Rose may be easy to drink but...