According to CIVP (Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de Provence), 37% of wine consumed in France is rosé. In fact, rosé wine has long surpassed white wine in consumption numbers in France and is on pace to surpass even red wine. Worldwide, rosés are not as popular, accounting for one in every 10 bottles of wine consumed.
From my personal experience, in multiple open tastings I’ve done this year, rosé wine accounts for roughly a third of all sales. However, my average tasting will consist of two reds, two whites, and one rosé. It might be time I consider changing this approach.
So, what makes rosé so great?
In one word, flexibility. Rosé is not complicated. You can drink it at an aperitif or you can pair with a myriad of different cuisines. Rosés are versatile, fresh when you need a light drink to pair with hors-d’oeuvre and bold when accompanying a meaty dish.
Rosés are on the rise, but what makes a wine a rosé?
This is an oversimplification, but in essence, rosés are red wines that spend less time in contact with grape skins while fermenting. Grape skins are where most of the colour and tannins come from. After that point rosés are fermented the same way white wines are.
Traditionally, rosé was seen as a byproduct of red wine. When producers would struggle to get enough colour into their red wines, they would take some of the juice out of the recipient it was fermenting in, leaving the remaining part more concentrated with the skins, and fermenting the lighter juice to then sell separately as rosé.
However, there are other methods to make rosé wine. For example, in the Champagne region, winemakers can mix white and red wine together and call it a rosé (this process is unique to Champagne).
And in Portugal? Is rosé particularly important?
Well, rosé has also had a significant impact in Portuguese wine consumption, production and, in particular, notoriety. In 1942, Fernando Van Zeller Guedes, would create a lightly sparkling rosé called Mateus, two years later the José Maria da Fonseca winery would also come out with a similar rosé named Lancers. Both would find initial success in Brazil, but by the 1970s their main focus would be the UK and the US. The Mateus brand alone would account for 40% of table-wine exports from Portugal in 1978. Mateus and Lancers put Portuguese wine on the map, they are also partially responsible for the “cheap wine” label that Portuguese winemakers have been trying to shake off ever since.
Rosés we offer for you to try this summer:
Casa Relvas Pom‑Pom Rosé 2023: A blend made out of Aragonez, Touriga Nacional, and Syrah. Ten percent of the wine spends four months aging in French oak barrels to give it an extra layer of complexity. The wine’s colour is a pale pink, but don’t be fooled as on the nose, notes of fresh red and citric fruit jump at you, on the palate it is intense, particularly the red fruit. Balanced, fresh, creamy, and mineral, an exceptional wine. Pairs well with grilled fish, sushi, seafood, and salads.
1808 Blush Rosé 2023: From the Beira Interior, a 100% Touriga Nacional. Notes of raspberry, redcurrant, and pomegranate, on the palate the wine is fresh, mineral with a pleasant acidity, the raspberry and pomegranate really shine through. Very versatile, as it can pair with almost anything, cheese, sea food, fish, pasta dishes, and even pizzas.
Maias Rosé 2020: From the Dão, half Jaen, half Tinto Cão. The wine has a darker hue than most rosés have nowadays, with an intense bouquet containing cherry and cassis notes. On the palate it is fresh and well structured. It should be served cool, being an excellent apéritif and accompanying seafood, fish dishes and white meat dishes.
Rosa Celeste 2021: I was never a big rosé fan, I’ve generally preferred reds for dinner or a cold winter night, and whites for the summer or an aperitif. My prior lack of interest in rosé wines meant I had never really considered the idea of one being of extremely high quality, as complex and deep as any red or white. That changed the moment I tasted this wine. Named after the winemaker’s grandmother, and limited to under 2000 bottles per release, Celeste is a blend of 80% Tinto Cão and 20% Touriga Nacional, the wine spends 12 months in French oak barrels, with 60% spending that time in 2nd year 300L convection toasted barrels, with the remaining 40% in new 500L barrels, with “bâtonnage”. Pastel pink tone, with notes of rose water, spices, peppermint, ginger, grapefruit, peach, apricot, and balsamic. Intense, complex, extremely long finish. Pairs exceptionally well with Lobster, prawns, and salmon. This wine will last (and evolve) for a few more years, provided you store it in a cool and dark place.
You can also find great options in supermarkets such as:
🔹 Delhaize:
- Grapes: Aragonez, Touriga Nacional, Syrah, among others
- Colour: Rose petal pink colour
- Aroma: Fresh and fruity, with lovely hints of strawberry and white flowers
- Palate: Excellent acidity, also displaying an elegant structure and a conspicuous presence of red fruit aromas. It has a long and juicy finish.
- Pairing: Asian food, sushi, and barbecue
- Price: 4,99€
- Grapes: Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, Syrah, among others
- Colour: Pale pink
- Aroma: Fresh, tropical fruits and red berries
- Palate: Intense and fresh, nice minerality.
- Pairing: Sushi, fresh fish, seafood and salads
- Price: 8,99€
🔹 Carrefour:
- Grapes: Aragonez, Trincadeira, Touriga Nacional
- Colour: Light onion-skin tone.
- Aroma: Elegant and refined with fresh fruity notes of cherries and firm strawberries on a citrusy background.
- Palate: Fresh and vibrant on the palate with good volume, polished with a fruity finish. Mineral and sophisticated.
- Pairing: Salmon carpaccio, sushi, salads, or prawn curry.
- Price: 6,99€