The Return of Rose

I found this article from the BBC about the growing popularity of rose rather interesting:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7959460.stm

But I really couldn't accept the offered reasons behind this renaissance at face value - the basic argument seemed to be that people drink more rose because we've had warmer summers and milder winters recently. But that, surely, should mean that consumption of white wine should also have risen?

I am cautiously hopeful that the real reason might simply be that people are becoming that little bit more knowledgeable and experimental when it comes to wine. It certainly seems that people I talk to nowadays are better informed and indeed more interested than was the case a few years ago. Although that might simply reflect the age demographics of my friends and family more than anything else

Well, one reason of course (in US, I'd assume the UK is similar) is the explosion of articles in mainstream and wine press evangelizing for rose. Certainly as writers (and sommeliers) have pushed pink, it's easier to try something other than white Zin. One used to have to search, now it seems every wine store has a display at least in summer.

I'd also be curious as to breakdown of rose sales - how much is dry and how much is "blush."

the explosion of articles in mainstream and wine press evangelizing for rose...

Yes. Doesn't rose 'return' every year when these writers need new columns?

Dale, I can't speak to actual statistics, because the collection of data for sales/consumption still doesn't make a clear and precise delineation between dry rose and "blush" wines.

I can tell you, however, that from an ITB point of view, there is a clear and obvious increase in both production of dry rose and consumption of dry rose. The "Blush/White Zin" category is on the decline, and has been for some years now; if the rose category is growing, it's growing for the dry wines.

[David M. Bueker]

if the rose category is growing, it's growing for the dry wines.

Anecdotally, Rosé Champagne seems also to be booming.

if the rose category is growing, it's growing for the dry wines.

Anecdotally, Rosé Champagne seems also to be booming.

Yep, it is.

It's also easy to see where the growth is by going into any large chain store. The large chain environment is always the last to react to trends. They respond, they don't start. They harvest what has already become mainstream in sufficient mass to generate high enough dollar sales to get their attention.

So when the stats start popping upward in Neilsen environments (those markets who subscribe to Neilsen's, i.e., the chain grocery stores and some big league liquor store chains), you know you've got a rock solid thing going. And it has been going for some time now.

And I think, as with all things, it's part honest trend with a certain set of consumers, enhanced by scribblers taking note of it and reporting on it, and thus driving it a little farther up into the consciousness, until it gets to the point where the sheep take notice.

Anecdotally we've been told that several California wineries have for the last few years been making some very nice dry rose's that never hit the market; as all are sold in the tasting rooms.

Maybe Hoke can shed some light on this.

Anecdotally we've been told that several California wineries have for the last few years been making some very nice dry rose's that never hit the market; as all are sold in the tasting rooms.

Maybe Hoke can shed some light on this.

Yes, very true, Carl.

Numerous wineries, for some years now, have been making roses, predominantly dry roses too, for their own consumption and for their tasting rooms as well.

It's quite common when you tool around wine country to see roses in the tasting rooms. Sometimes these are only a barrel or two; sometimes they're a few hundred cases; occasionally a winery will produce even more, and some of those are starting to pop up in distribution now. It has actually become unusual not to find a rose in a local winery!

The rose market actually peaked, as far as I can tell, about two years ago. We saw an upsurge in both supply and demand, the distributors acquired some new roses, both domestic and lots of Spanish primarily, and then saw they had slighly overesitmated the demand and had to pull back a little (roses are vintage dependent, and most customers won't buy "old" roses). But despite that hiccup of inventory control, the rose market is still vibrant right now; just not explosive.

My company has actually been making dry rose wine for some years now: we've just been shipping it into the UK/EU market, where there's more demand historically. One of our wineries, Bonterra, just came out with our second "official" release of rose (wonderful wine; I drink it by the case), but unfortunately I can't promise you'll ever see any of it for this vintage, as we sold it all immediately. Literally. We made only a few hundred cases, and...pooof...it was gone. Fortunately, this next release, we'll have way more, so maybe it will wend its way to your market eventually.

Ever since I moved to Florida seven years ago I've been amazed that rose is not more popular here. If anyone has the perfect climate for it we do. I have no numbers to back this up but I think it's become much more popular here. I am judging this by the number and variety of bottles that I see on shelves in wine stores and being offered in restaurants lately. It also appears that the dreaded white zinfandel epidemic is subsiding.

Ken, like you, I've always been surprised that Floridians don't gulp down more rose wine. I would add Texas to that list too. As you said, perfect climates.

I would also agree, based on the figures I get to see and based on what my eyes see on retail shelves and winelists when I'm in those markets, that rose has made gains in both Florida and Texas.

I think part of this is from the maturtion of the US as a wine drinking culture. It's not just cocktail beverage anymore, and it's not just for a small group of people. This country is now drinking more wine than beer. So it's not just anonymous chardonnay and cabernet for most, but a more varied and discriminate drinking audience than ever before, and many of them are very willing to dry new things.

[David M. Bueker]

many of them are very willing to dry new things.

interesting slip of the keyboard

many of them are very willing to dry new things.

interesting slip of the keyboard

That damned agenda keeps inserting itself, doesn't it.

I would hypothesize that rose wines have maintained their level of popularity with many wine drinkers and that the increase is largely among semi- and more-sophisticated drinkers who have come to the realization and acknowledgement that not all wines have to be "great" - that the role of some wines is to nothing more than to provide a simple, not necessarily complex form of pleasure. In a sense, of course, a very positive movement as it reflects a move away from snobbism.

Best
Rogov

I can tell you, however, that from an ITB point of view, there is a clear and obvious increase in both production of dry rose and consumption of dry rose. The "Blush/White Zin" category is on the decline, and has been for some years now; if the rose category is growing, it's growing for the dry wines.

Thanks, that jibes with what I see in stores (at least wine speciality stores- white zin and its newer "white Merlot" brethren seem to be holding strong in the more warehouse liquor stores). I was just curious because the article mentioned white Zin in UK, I never knew that was an export.

I was quite surprised to come across a very healthy selection of rose wines in London. I think most of the blush zins are on supermarket shelves however, along with huge quantities of Blossom Hill.
Sampler in Stoke Newington area had 3 pinks from Bandol!!