I’m busy bottling the 2018 vintage of our Langhe doc Rosato, a young, fresh and cheerful wine, made from Nebbiolo grapes.
It could be because it’ll be St. Valentine’s Day soon, or perhaps it’s that spring is just around the corner. Whatever the reason, I find myself wanting to talk about rosé, or perhaps I should use the Italian word, rosato.
The first thing I want to do is dispel a few clichés.
Rosato is NOT:
a summer wine
a wine for women
a wine for amateur palates
a wine that cannot be aged
We’re with the Huffington Post, which has launched the hashtag #roséallyear! While rosé was once considered a wine for drinking in summer, we now drink it all year round and from the start to the finish of a meal.
The other myth to be dispelled is that it’s a wine for women: a survey by Nomisma Wine Monitor tells us that 73% of women and 67% of men buy rosé wines.
I’ve taken a look at some of the figures: in recent years, consumption has risen particularly among the millennials. As much as one bottle of wine in every 10 consumed in the world is rosé and four in 10 bottles are consumed outside the country where they are made.
Global production is around 24 million hectolitres, accounting for about 10% of the wines consumed throughout the world (data source: France Agrimere). And according to the study, international consumption of rosé wines is growing 1-2% annually.
The French continue to be the leading producers, also leading the rankings for consumption, import and export. Italy is the world’s second exporter in terms of volume, with 16%. And demand is rising, particularly for rosé wines made with native grapes.
I love it with fresh cheeses, fish and shellfish, but in her blog, Donatella Cinelli Colombini says it’s fantastic with pizza too.
Happy rosé everyone!