Life in rosé

[vc_row full_screen_section_height=”no”][vc_column][vc_column_text]by Irene Graziotto.

La vie en rose, life in pink, life in rosé.
This is not a mere translation of Piaf's famous song, but a trend that is affecting the entire Western world.
From clothing to objects (just look at the flamingos going wild in swimming pools), pink is so trendy that it's even pushing up sales of rosé, thanks also to Instagram users who really like the color, so much so that they've contributed significantly to its acceptance, finally making it unisex.
A phenomenon that has certainly had an impact on the increase in rosé wines consumed by men, the so-called brosé.

Production Data
The rosé category has been able to conquer across audiences, nations, genders and ages. In 2017, Nielsen sources report, the increase in rosé sales recorded a +53% in the US, a figure significantly higher than the growth for the entire category.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the driving force behind sales were Millennials.
Not without falsifications, as revealed a few weeks ago by the French control authorities according to which in the last two years 70.000 hectolitres – equivalent to 10 million bottles – of Spanish rosé have been sold as French rosé (in detail).
And not without discussion – see for example, those relating to Prosecco Rosé, strongly desired by the DOC and rejected instead by the two DOCGs.

The major markets
In 2014, total rosé production (excluding bubbles) reached 34.3 million hectoliters, or 9.6% of total production and with a growth rate of 10% compared to 2002.
The growth was such that the OIV decided to dedicate its 2015 annual research to rosés (consultable dossier).
The ranking of the major producing countries has remained unchanged since then and presents, in order, France, Spain, the United States, Italy, South Africa and Germany.
Other growing producing areas include South Africa, Chile and Australia.
In France, much rosé is consumed locally and exported, so much so that it is also confirmed as the leading consuming country.
As for exports, in 2007 France exported 5 million liters, in 2017 it exported 30.

To understand a market where there is a lack of updated data at a global level and one must rely on the numbers communicated by one denomination or another, we involved the Master of Wine Elizabeth Gabay, one of the world's leading experts on rosé and perhaps the first to have seriously taken into consideration a phenomenon that many considered simply a trend for housewives and millennials.
Released in 2018, his book Rosé: Understanding the Pink Wine Revolution, provides one of the greatest insights into data and trends within what is anything but a one-size-fits-all movement.

When exactly did the rosé trend start? In your opinion, was there something in particular that triggered the “rosé phenomenon”?
EC: The rosé trend has come and gone before – after the war and in the 1950s, and then back in fashion starting in the mid-1990s.
The big difference in this latest trend has been the increased focus on quality research and development, thanks also to the Vidauban center – the rosé research center located in Provence, ed. – and the type of marketing over the last decade that has used social media.
2007 seems to have been a watershed year for rosés with numerous companies around the world suddenly starting to think about a rosé wine.

What are the success factors of rosé?
EC: Most people believe that one of the main reasons is that rosé is a nice and immediate product – anyone of any age can enjoy it even without much knowledge of wine.

Among the major changes affecting rosés around the world, it is worth mentioning the shift towards lighter, paler shades.
In the article “The pale and uninteresting problem with rosé” on WineSearcher you stated that “Many companies – some in Provence and many elsewhere – are picking the grapes too early.
This does not make the wine clearer but rather makes these clear wines less pleasant to drink.”
Elizabeth, do you think that once consumers tire of these wines with a poor aromatic profile, they will return to darker (and more perfumed) rosés?
EC: I think the consumer profile will certainly change. Light, neutral rosé, drunk chilled will always be good for consumption by the pool or by the sea, or used in cocktails, served with ice.
The perfect light wine for summer. The problem with these lighter wines is that they fail to score highly in competitions – and in a market where medals and points matter, these wines will fail to capture the serious market, and so yes, they will be left out.

Is the success of rosés also growing by virtue of the fact that they are widely used in cocktails?
EC: Yes, definitely – large quantities of rosé are also sold fruit-flavoured.

Another important transition was from rosés with a high sugar content to dry rosés.
Do you think that the amount of sugar is a key factor for a rosé?
EC: As with other types of wine, sweet wines are looked down upon – perhaps because, due to drink-driving regulations, we rarely allow ourselves the opportunity to drink sweeter wines with meals these days?
In any case, what is important is not the sugar, but the balanced ratio of sugar and acidity.
Fine rosés from the Anjou region can be just as beautiful as some important sweet white wines, and are very successful when served with fruit, tomatoes, cheeses, jams, etc. precisely because of their intense freshness.
White Zinfandé has the same residual sugar as Rosé D'Anjou, but lacks the acidity.
If the acidity is well balanced, the sugar is almost imperceptible.

What other big changes, if any, have influenced the world of rosé in the last ten years?
And what will the trends be? We'll talk about it in the next post/article.
See you soon. 
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