…. and welcome to wine’s biggest success story this century. While the wine world scratches it’s head, wondering how to keep wine relevant and desirable, the wine growers of Provence have worked out that they’re not really selling wine, they’re selling pleasure.
The wine’s aren’t serious and they’re selling them to the joy seekers. What’s more, they’re selling lots of it for pretty big money. Whilst Prosecco averages out at about £7.50 a bottle, Provence Rosé has pipped through the £15 mark and plenty of other Rosé makers are very happy being swept along on the coat tails. Wine has at last found something properly profitable and scalable, so long may the party last
It all really started in the 1950’s with Mateus Rosé – cheap, sweet and spritzy. It became one of the biggest wine brands in the world and, what’s more, it was really quite dark. Then came a bit of global warming - warmer Summers in the UK then the budget airlines in the late ‘90’s and Noughties and suddenly, we could fly to drink Rosé by the Med. How glam!
Rosé had moved from being it’s deep scarlet colour, often taking itself seriously (think Tavel Rosé), to a pale, coral pink beauty that’s sole purpose was to be … beautiful. And it’s become paler and paler since. Bring on Instagram, influencers and celebrities and Rosé is now more glamorous than Champagne. In fact, about one in three bottles of wine we buy is a pink one and our shelves are increasingly flooded with everything pink – cider, alcopops, gins, vodkas. Really, if you want your drinks product to be even more successful than it is already … make a pink one.
But what we’re really getting at here is, of course, how much to spend on a bottle of Rosé and, like all things in wine, there’s no right answer. What I love with this one though is that it’s really quite simple. Are we buying for the taste of the juice or are we buying for the impact at the table, or by the pool of course? If it’s the latter, then go for your life – pay as much as is going to bring you joy and get it in magnums. If it’s for the quality though, it’s £15 max every time. This is not a serious wine so you don’t need to spend serious money. … and one last thing – most Rosé tastes better with one years’ bottle age on it so buy the 2022’s if you can BUT NO OLDER.
5 best Rosés for under £15:
Screaming Devil Rosé, Côtes de Provence @ £13.00 – Widely Available
La Minuette Organic Rosé, Domaine Gayda, La Liviniere £14.00 – Cambridge Wine Merchants
Tommasi Le Fornaci Rosé, Lugana, Italy @ £14.99 - Majestic
Mirabeau Pure Rosé, Provence @ £13 - Ocado
Domaine de Triennes Rosé, Provence @ £14.50 - Berry Brothers
5 best Rosés when you want to spend more:
Château Léoube Rosé Côtes de Provence @ £19.70 - Vinvm
Château Romassan Organic Rosé, Domaines Ott, Bandol @ £42.99 - Waitrose
Miravel ‘Saint Victoire’ Rosé, Côtes-de-Provence Saint-Victoire @ £23.99 - Majestic
Château Minuty ‘Cuvée Prestige’, Côtes de Provence @ £18.90 - Vinatis
Feudi di San Gegorio Visione Rosato, Campania, Italy £21.00 - Hic-Merchants
And 2 Rosés if you need to unload a lot of cash quick:
Gérard Bertrand ‘Clos du Temple’ Organic Rosé, Languedoc @ £188.99 - Majestic
Chateau d’Estoublon ‘1489’ Organic Rosé, Cotes de Provence @ £59.99 - Majestic