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Howard W. Hewitt

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Howard W. Hewitt

Tag Archives: pink wine

White Zin’s Lasting Damage

22 Sunday Jan 2017

Posted by Howard in Newspaper Column 2017, Uncategorized

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Dry Rose', pink wine, Provence Rosé, Vine & Table

The California mega-wine producers of the late 1970s and early 1980s did the wine industry a great favor and terrible injustice.

At a time when not much of anyone was drinking wine, California winemakers came up with something called “White Zinfandel.” The pink wine was refreshing and sugary. Think of it as a bowl of frosted cornflakes or Fruit Loops in a glass.

grape-sense-logoWhite Zinfandel is a punch line today for uneducated palates and super sweet pink juice. Still, many will quickly tell you that the pink was a populist wine winner that got Americans drinking wine. That’s all true but things have changed.

Most American’s moved from White Zinfandel to Chardonnay and then the 1976 Judgement of Paris proved California red wines were just as good as the world’s best. American’s palates evolved a lot in the 70s and 80s.

In keeping with the 2017 theme of trying new things, if you haven’t been drinking dry rose’ then it’s time for you to catch up.

It wasn’t long ago anything pink would be laughed off the shelves at places like Carmel, Indiana’s Vine and Table wine shop. But over the last ten years rosé wine sales have exploded. That explosion has been led by southern France’s Provence wine region.

Provence sales have increased over the past decade by double digits annually. But sales exploded in 2015 to more than a 50 percent increase.

“Every year it seems to increase. Last year we did close to 3 palates of rose between March and October,” said Brendan Kennedy, wine buyer for Vine and Table. “It definitely dies down after October but it does seem to increase every year, definitely.”

roseWhy the huge boom in sales? Rosé wines offer a flexibility for serious and casual wine drinkers. “I love it with food and it is great on its own as a backyard patio wine,” Kennedy said. “But there are still a lot of people out there who are very scared of the pink wine because White Zin gave it a very bad name.”

Kennedy calls on the wine’s versatility when pitching it to customers. “It’s a fun wine to drink on its own but pairing it kicks the door wide open. You might not pair rosé with red meats but white meats, fish, chicken, and salad – it goes great.”

Vine and Table, and other prominent Indiana retail wine shops are featuring rosé wines in their spring and summer tasting events.

With a rosé sales explosion some would expect consumers to climb the price ladder but that’s not necessarily so. Kennedy explained if consumers are used to buying a $15-$20 bottle of wine they’re probably going to stay in that range for rosé. And make no mistake, great pink wines are available in that price range. But another $10 on that price tag delivers an even bigger reward.

“I always try to push people’s limits with rosé because they think it’s sort of a plain and simple wine but once you get into the Sanceres they’re complex, really a lot going on, and they have nice acidity. I think if you try some of those higher end rosés you’ll be rewarded for it.”

Provence rosé is made from a blend of traditional southern France grapes. Most of the best U.S. rosé wines are often 100 percent Pinot Noir.

Want some higher end names? Try Domaine Ott, Miraval, and Domaine Tempier. Those are great Provence names. Better wine shops will have a few of the Sancerre wines Kennedy mentioned. Most will retail $20-$30. A personal favorite is California’s Sonoma County’s Raymond Vineyards rose’.

There is nothing wrong if your think pink is White Zin in 2017 but try thinking pink with a dry rose’ and enjoy the delightful difference.

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Not Your Granny’s Pink Wine Any More

04 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by Howard in France, Newspaper Column 2012

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Bieler Pere et Fils Rosé, pink wine, Provence Rosé, Rose'

Those silly looking pink wines in your favorite wine shop or liquor store are gaining respect through robust sales. Rosé is perfect for the summer’s hot weather and sales are even hotter.

The numbers are staggering. Since 2009, overall consumption of Rosé wines has increased 160 percent.

Arguably, the best Rose’ in the world comes from Southern France. Exports of rose’ wine from the Provence region to the U.S. grew 62 percent in volume last year compared to 2010. Value of exports for the 2010-2011 period increased nearly 50 percent to a record high of nearly $10 million Euro.
The booming growth can be dated back to 2003 when Provence exported 146,000 liters of Rosé to the U.S. Last year that number easily passed 1.7 million liters.
Bethann Kendall, Vine and Table

But the U.S. isn’t the only major importer of the salmon-pink Rosé wines. Sales have also increased significantly in Brazil, Russia and other countries.

“What we’re seeing in the U.S. market reflects a global trend,” said Julie Peterson of the Vins de Provence U.S. office, which provided the statistics above. “Those who appreciate great wine and the Mediterranean lifestyle are turning to Provence rosé for its versatility, food friendliness, and gold standard quality.”

Midwestern wine retailers have also noticed the explosion in growth.

“Rosé sales increase more and more very year,” said Bethann Kendall, wine buyer at Vine and Table, Carmel, IN. “Last year was probably almost three times more than what I sold my first year here.  And right now, in May, I’ve already sold more than what I sold all of last year. It’s looking great. It’s going to be a huge increase probably 15-20 percent.”

Provence Rosé is made from a blend of basically six grapes. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvedre, Tibouren, and Carignan can be found in Provence’s signature wine. But around the world you can find Rose made from just about any grape varietal imaginable. Oregon, home of some of the U.S.’s best Pinot Noir, makes great Rosé of Pinot Noir wines.
For years “pink wine” was soiled in reputation by white zinfandel but no more. “I think there is still a huge misconception on Rose but we taste it every Saturday,” Kendall said. “I’m always opening a bottle to try to sway people in the right direction. It’s not all sweet. I tell them if they don’t like Provence Rose they’re just not going to like it from any region at all.”
Howard’s Picks:
2011 Bieler Pere et Fils Rosé – Simply Unbelievable Provence for a miserly $11-$14. This dry delicious Rose is a blend of 50 percent Syrah, 30 percent Grenache, and 20 percent Cabernet. Bigger than some Rose’ but the cranberry color and wonderful taste of red raspberry makes it a real must buy. “I was excited to finally get it into Indiana,” Kendall said. “It sells out every vintage and it’s just true to the area with very beautiful strawberries and raspberries and a nice chalky texture which comes from the soils of Provence.
2011 Mas de Gourgonnier – Cherry and classic Rosé strawberry with hints of spice make this Rose a real treat for around $15. While a little lighter in style than the Bieler, it’s equally dry. This wine is 60 percent Grenache (my favorite) with a 40 percent blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Cabernet. This is a perfect hot weather wine and gorgeous pairing for lighter foods.
More choices: Chateau Revelette Provence Rose’ (Wine critics: 89-90 Points and the best I’ve tasted this year); Acrobat Oregon Pinot Noir Rosé, $15; and closer to home Butler Winery’s Rosé of Chambourcin, $14-$15.

POSTSCRIPT: Rose has been in the news a lot lately. Here are some links to additional stories about Rose.

From SFGate, San Francisco, another from the San Francisco Chronicle, from the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune,  

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

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