All About Rosé Wine

Although for a long time rosés have not always been seen as being of the highest quality, today things have changed and some very committed winegrowers are giving us bottles that are guaranteed to give genuine pleasure!

vin rosé de provence

ROSÉ WINES ARE IN VOGUE

With the arrival of summer, rosé wines are making a comeback to the table. Our drinking habits over the years reveal a new relationship with wine... seeing life through rose tinted glasses can sometimes be good!

A success that cannot be denied, the figures speak for themselves: In 2016, France was the leading producer and consumer of rosé wine in the world. Consumption has tripled in the last 25 years. This is confirmed by a study from the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de Provence. With 8.1 million hectolitres, i.e. 36% of world consumption, there are on average 20 bottles of rosé wine per French person per year. The craze even extends beyond its country of origin! The export of Provence wines has jumped by 287%, from 8 million bottles in 2005 to 31 million in 2015! The main destinations are the United States with 36.5% of total exports, followed by Belgium and the United Kingdom.

France intends to remain the leading ambassador abroad for rosé wine exports. Followed by Italy (23%), Spain (16%) and the United States (14%), it is the Provence region that is in the lead. Even if not all terroirs are suitable for producing rosé wines, the quality is constantly improving: The sector is facing up to the competition by focusing on top-of-the-range production.

TOP-OF-THE-RANGE ROSÉS

These are truly exceptional wines that have given rosé its pedigree. They are mostly produced from old vines and their production benefits from special attention: they are harvested exclusively by hand, in small crates to prevent oxidation. These high-class rosés, produced in limited quantities, are priced to match their reputation and justify their unique character.

vin rosé

THE PROGRESSION OF QUALITY

Some wines are even technologically and ontologically worked like the greatest Bordeaux nectars. The temperature and quality of the grapes are controlled, the berries are ripened and the musts are macerated, and plot sorting or optical sorting is used to separate the wheat from the chaff. In short, efforts are made to produce good wine and to ensure its reputation! And yet, even though a large number of winegrowers have the same quality approach, it is clear that they deliver wines with different personalities and styles, due to their very different philosophies of wine making. Depending on our tastes and the season of the year, we can enjoy top-of-the-range rosés, winter rosés and summer bbq rosés.

vin rosé piscine

SUMMER ROSÉS

These are fruity, light wines that can be drunk chilled and to which an ice cube can even be added. They are perfectly suited to less formal drinking situations: aperitifs, picnics, sunny terraces and buffets... They are refreshing and thirst-quenching wines, particularly appreciated in the summer.

vin rosé évolution

THE PROGRESSION OF STYLE

Pale pink, rose petal, melon pulp, soft pink, grey, coral, salmon, peach, dark pink, grenadine, rosé, fuschia, light red... The colour of rosé wines, whose impressive chromatic identity card ranges from translucent to bright red, is an important feature that comes into play when it comes to appreciating a wine. It changes from one appellation to another, depending on the anthocyanin content of the wine. This colour becomes darker (leaving aside the influence of the winemaker), as one moves southwards due to the greater ripeness encouraged by the sun.

Technical progress has also contributed to the improvement of rosé wine. Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur is at the origin of a new style of rosé which is the clear and aromatic dry rosé that we know today thanks to the control of the fermentation temperature. A technique that reveals the white flower and citrus aromas of the grape varieties. An evolution that has also progressed with our eating habits and our way of cooking: exotic cuisine, various starters, barbecues... an explosion of flavours that go well with rosé!

GASTRONOMIC ROSÉS OR WINTER ROSÉ

Complex, they allow for numerous food and wine pairings. They are structured and elegant wines, round and generous, enriched with subtle nuances that will charm you. They are best drunk young and seduce with their freshness and flavours. Full-bodied and spicy, they go very well with a cold starter such as ceviche, with Japanese or Chinese cuisine or any other exotic dish.

ROSÉ COCKTAILS

A surprising novelty! Mixing a rosé wine with a drink to liven it up, such as grapefruit juice. Other must-have cocktails: Raspberry, Jacqueline (a mixture of rosé, lemonade and grenadine syrup) and P'tit Denis (a mixture of rosé and grapefruit syrup).