Rosé on the rise Here’s why we’re all drinking pink Words: Peter Dean
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t used to be a perennial problem come the Grand Prix. You’d secured your usual berth in the superyacht marina at Monaco, with a perfect eye-line of the new chicane. All your guests had made it, the sun was out, the fruits de mer piled high, and the wine? That was the problem. The wine was rosé, obviously, but until Brangelina took charge of Miraval, there was only one rosé that you could allow on board and that was Domaine Ott. For a while, it seemed to be the only house to take the pink stuff seriously. Now, however, rosé has been ‘premiumised’, which means that the winemaking has become more sophisticated. More interesting things are happening with the wines, there are more players in the market and the packaging has taken on a cooler edge. The price is also moving on up which is never a bad thing. I mean, who wants a tatty bottle of Tavel at sunset in legendary Californian beach bar Duke’s Malibu, no matter how delicious, when Miraval looks and tastes the part? Do you want to look like you’re scrimping? It used to be that rosé was simply a light, fresh summer wine made from the first pressing of grapes that would go on to make serious red wine; grapes such as syrah and grenache that could afford to lose a little flavour, give the winery some quick cash flow and go well with salads and light, summery food. Winemakers now, however, are experimenting much more – using wood to structure and age the wine, using reduction, concentration and so on to give us a wider range of styles. Houses like Château d’Esclans have raised the bar so that rosé is being treated as seriously as reds and whites. »
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