Saturday Is National Rose’ Day

It was not too long ago that many serious wine drinkers laughed at rose’ wines and even more so, rose’ wine drinkers. My how times have changed! Forty percent of rose’ drinkers are females under the age of 34!!

Another startling fact from Winespeed: There has been a 40% increase in worldwide consumption of rosé wines from 2002 – 2018. According to a study by the Provence Wine Council (PWC), rosé’s rise far surpasses that of still wines at only 5%. More than half of global consumption comes from France and the U.S.—not surprising as we Yanks celebrate National Rosé Day tomorrow. A recent consumer survey by marketing firm Wine Opinions, points to Millennial’s as the driving force behind the increase in demand. Why? Easier to drink, appeals to a wider range of wine drinkers, food friendly,

relatively inexpensive.

How many of you remember Mateus or Lancer’s Rose’? Mateus has been around since 1943, Lancer’s since 1944. Both are still available for about $5 a bottle. People often laughed, college kids got a cheap drunk too! Then came Sutter Home’s White Zinfandel to cloud the issue.

But I think you should drink what you enjoy. It is light, refreshing, affordable, and perfect on a warm summer night. So, who cares what anyone else thinks? Pure Wow says: Far from a passing trend, rosé wine actually dates back to the Romans. Some of the first French-produced wines were rosés. Provençal rosé—that crisp, easy-drinking, light pink style that you chug ceremoniously on the first warm day of the year (read: “rosé season”)—has been commonplace since the early 19th century. So yes, the pink delicacy pre-dates even Lisa Vanderpump.

Many wine experts attribute the popularity of rose’ wines to Instragram. Rosé itself isn’t even a varietal of wine—it’s just a color. Pure Wow: Rosé can be light or dark pink, mineral or fruity, lush and floral or crisp and acidic. The barely pink and straight-forwardly refreshing Provence-style wines that dominate the market are actually just the tip of the iceberg—but you wouldn’t know that from Instagram.

In reality: Rosé is pink wine made with red grapes. To make both red wine and rosé wine, winemakers leave juice in contact with the skins, a process called maceration. Most rosés experience one to three days of maceration, reds much longer.

I have not purchased a rose’ wine, other than my favorite brut rose’ in many years. But I can tell you a little secret. I would probably pour it over some crushed ice!