 UK sales of rosé, or pink wine, as it is more fashionably known, have jumped by an impressive 28 percent over the past twelve months. Forecasts, too, are also looking rosy, with projected sales of around 35 million litres anticipated by the end of the year.
So, what has prompted this change of heart among serious wine drinkers? What has forced wine experts, Jancis Robinson included, to admit that “the more mainstream wine columnists have started to admit that not all rosé is hopelessly unfashionable, in fact some of it - champagne included - can be really rather nice”?
What has happened to restore the revolting reputation of the bulk of rosés that used to grace our dinner tables, until recently, so aptly described by Ms Robinson as “vapid commercial mouthwash … sickly sweet and vivid rose pink?” And, who, with the nasty aftertaste of old-style Portuguese Mateus Rosé or indeed undrinkable Californian blush wines lingering on the palate, can argue with such a slating?
Wedged unceremoniously on wine menus, between the serious reds and whites, rosé offerings, with their hitherto dubious reputation, quite frankly, have never really oozed much consumer appeal. That is until now.
The fact of the matter is that modern rosés bear no resemblance to their puke-inducing predecessors. For a start, the new generation pink wines are altogether, drier, fuller- bodied and far more aromatic and flavoursome. These wines make perfect partners for a wide range of modern, global cuisines, especially spicy foods and Mediterranean-style dishes. One small word of caution, however, not all new-style rosés are necessarily dry. A few New World wine producers, for instance, have been known to churn out some excessively sweet pink wines, yet have omitted to mention the sweetness on their labels. So, you could just be in for the occasional disappointment.
As for colour, forget the shocking pink colours of yesteryear - today's pinks are typically darker, almost light red in colour. This, of course, may have a lot to do with the grape varieties that go into these new, characterful rosés from the major wine-producing regions of the world.
It comes as no surprise, therefore, that some of the best rosés around, at the moment, are French, produced from a blend of classic and indigenous French grape varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, for example, make a perfect base for modern rosés. Add to that a dash of Grenache, Mourvèdre or Cinsault, et voilà, a coveted grape combination with huge modern palate appeal. Current recommendations might include the Bordeaux , Rhône , Languedoc or Provence 2003 vintages. Many have been given the expert thumbs-up as “seriously interesting rosés”, and certainly worth a crack.
The rosé producers of Provence , above all, are determined to capture a slice of the burgeoning UK rosé market. To this end, the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de Provence has set up a collective of approximately twenty of the region's top rosé producers, in a concerted bid to woo UK wine drinkers to purchase pink.
Other pink wine producing countries to keep an eye on, include Spain with its rosados or claretes produced in the main from the Garnacha (Grenache) grape, the USA , particularly the new generation Californian pinks, as well the reliable Shiraz-based Australian rosés.
All in all, wine drinkers, worldwide, have recently been prepared to give the unforgivable rosés of the past, a second chance. And, if consumption in the UK is anything to go by, our faith in pink wine has been vindicated. |
