Tag Archives: Rose’

Rose’ sales madness continues

17 Tuesday Jul 2018

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As a wine columnist, there is always news pouring into the inbox. Some topics spark an entire column idea while others are worthy of note to anyone interested in wine.

grape-sense-logoIt seems like stories about Rose’ sales flood my inbox on a weekly basis. The statistics are mind boggling to the point of disbelief. For example, rose’ sales make up just 1.5 percent of the U.S. wine market. But sales increased 53 percent in volume during 2016-2017. Nothing increases 53 percent in any business in such a short period of time!

And despite its popularity there are still misconceptions. Go into any wine specialty shop and look at the rose’ display. Rose is most often made from Pinot Noir in the U.S. Still it’s not hard to find Rose made from almost any grape grown in the vineyards. In Indiana, for instance, Chambourcin red grapes can make a great Rose. Some Hoosier wineries will use sweeter grapes to make a sweet rose’. That grape is often Catawba.

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Lots of Rose’ styles to choose from.

But sweetness is where a bit of the confusion begins. There are wine novices who immediately think sweet when they see pink. If a wine shop display has 15 rose’ wines then probably 15 of them are in a dry style. White zinfandel, which is usually pink, is the genesis of the misconception.

Still, even in dry rose’ sales there are a variety of styles. Rose’ made from grapes like sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Malbec, Syrah and any number of other grapes can have a much bigger mouth feel than a light rose’ from Provence.

French rose’, arguably the world’s finest, has a huge range of styles. Tavel, from the Rhone Valley, is usually made from grenache. Yet, it’s not terribly unusual to find a Rose’ based on Syrah for a bigger flavor.

Traditional Provence rose’ is usually made from grenache, cinsault, and mourvèdre. Provence rose’ has become the standard. They are the light summer drinkers you see at the beach, on street side cafes, and increasingly at home picnics.

Arguably, Chateau d’Esclans Whispering Angel fueled the rose’ rush. It has a mouthwatering flavor and texture. It hit U.S. shores in the mid-teens and now is often found around $20-$25. Whispering Angel sales have exploded in the U.S. There was a great headline in Vinepair, a wine news publication, that read “It went from Provence to Nantucket to Everywhere.”

Rose sales were concentrated on the coast but now have saturated the country. Just how popular is Whispering Angel in the U.S.? The wine debuted in 2017 in domestic markets. In 10 years, 2007-2017, sales increased 40,000 percent.

Your local wine shop will have the best Rose’ selection. Try the rose’ wines of Provence but experiment. Try the mineral-driven rose’ wines of France’s Loire Valley, a personal favorite. And, there are plenty of rose’ of pinot noir wines from U.S. producers.

Rose’ goes great with a salad, charcuterie, and fish.

Think pink this summer.

Time to start stocking up on Rose’

06 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by in France, Newspaper Column 2018, Uncategorized

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If it’s spring it must be a column about dry Rose’. If you are still shunning the wonderful dry – and yes, pink – Rose’ wines from around the world you are the fool fellow winos.

grape-sense-logoRose’ is beyond hot in the wine sales market – it’s a rocket ship. From mid-2016 to mid-2017, Rose sales in the U.S. increased by 53 percent in volume according to BeverageDaily.com and Nielsen sales data. Rose’ represents less than two percent of all US wine sales but the growth is unprecedented in any category.

While it is difficult to get up-to-date sales figures, the growth of French Provence Rose’ – the category leader – is stunning. In February of 2016, Nielsen reported an increase in sales over the previous 12 months of 54 percent on volume and 60 percent on value.

The growth rates for imported Rose, which comes from a number of countries but is dominated by the French, is crazy. Rose’ sales have outpaced the rest of the imported market for more than 10 years. In 2016, Provence Rose’ held 64 percent of all imported Rose’ sales.

IMG_1254 (1)More than 160 Provence wineries are exporting the salmon-colored wines to the US. For more than a dozen years exports of French Rose’ have grown every years at double digit rates.

Two of the biggest selling French Rose’ wines are Chateau d’Esclans Whispering Angel and Domaine Miraval’s short, stout bottle with the backing of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Even these two best sellers come in at the mid $20 price point. It’s not unusual to see Whispering Angel under $20 down to $15 come end of the summer clearance – if there is any left. Several producer make several price levels of Rose’ with d’Esclans Garrus at the top of the pack at an average of $80 a bottle.

But if you’re not a Francophile there are plenty of Rose choices at home where quality is skyrocketing in the last couple of years. Oregon and California producers, particular those who grow Pinot Noir, have jumped into the booming Rose’ market. After attending a recent Rose’ tasting presented by one of Indiana’s biggest wine distributors, it’s easy to see the vast improvement in Rose’ of Pinot over past years.

But look around your wine shop for Rose’ wine from Spain, many of Italy, and Rose’ of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec.

It’s not just a summer sipper. Rose’ owns the summer and has eyes on becoming more a year around part of your wine shopping habits.

NOTE: Would you like some specific Rose’ recommendations? You’ll find a long lists of Rose wines Howard has tasted and recommends listed in the following post.

 

Six wines you should keep in house

18 Saturday Nov 2017

Posted by in Holidays, Newspaper Column 2017, Uncategorized

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Some of us real winos keep a lot of wine around the house. Some winos have a basement or cellar or electronic coolers to store wine. Some crazy (or very serious) winos move from one city to another and realize they have a lot of wine.

But most people don’t buy by the case or half case. I know serious wine aficionados who buy a bottle or two at a time. There is nothing wrong with either approach. But with the holiday season fast approaching, maybe it’s time to keep a small supply on hand.

grape-sense-logoI’d suggest you always keep six bottles of wine in your home. It keeps you prepared for any meal and any guest. The list should include two reds, two whites, a Rose’ and a sparkling wine.

It’s easiest to start with the two reds. One of those reds should probably be Cabernet Sauvignon. Cab goes best with steak and big flavors. Any decent wine shop and even liquor store will offer several Cabernets at reasonable prices below $20. Mondavi, Louis Martini, Concannon, and many others offer good value and varietally correct wines.

Your second red wine should probably be on the lighter side. Personally, I’d recommend a Pinot Noir. Pinot is lighter on the plate. It’s excellent with seafood and other dishes not quite as bold as beef entrees. There are lighter style Pinots, think Oregon and Burgundy, and bigger bold Pinots often from California. If you want something other than Pinot, try a Spanish tempranillo, French Beaujolais, of Italian Dolcetto.

It’s easy to start the whites with Chardonnay. But do you like them buttery and oaky or clean and crisp? California’s big buttery, woodsy Chard has dominated the market for years. That style of Chardonnay pairs great with food. But in recent years unoaked Chardonnay has really boomed. The unoaked Chards usually give a fresher fruit taste, crisp, and nice acidity. If you want sheer elegance for a special occasion, buy white burgundy or Chablis Cru at your nearby wine shop.

Your second white wine is a little trickier because of the wide range of choices. Lighter whites which drink easy include the entire family of Pinot whites. Pinot Grigio is often the lightest of the family and is made around the world. If you like a bit drier white wine, move to the Pinot Blancs. Riesling is a favorite of many and is made from very dry to very sweet. Arguably, the world’s best Riesling comes from Germany or the Alsace region. But you’ll also find great Riesling from Canada, New York, Washington, and upper Michigan.

Keep one Rose’ in-house because it’s the most flexible wine on your small wine rack or cardboard wine box. There are a few great Pinot Rose’ wines from California and Oregon but real devotees will tell you the best Rose’ comes from Provence in Southern France. World-class Rose’ comes at less than $20 a bottle. That funky pink wine is about as far from white zinfandel as wine can get. French Rose’ is a great food wine for lighter dishes.

Sparkling wine sales are growing around the world. Drink more and you’ll want more. Too many people have very dry Champagne memories from weddings past stuck in their mind. Today’s entry-level bubbles should start with Italian Prosecco and Spanish Cava. Both offer tremendous values with top bottles available for under $20 and often less. You don’t have to spend $300 a bottle to get the best French champagne either. You can buy great grower bubbles, grower meaning grown and produced usually in small lots, in the $50-$100 range.

The holidays are here and you need wine handy. Enjoy it with guests or keep the bottles around as a great gift. These six wines will help you be prepared. The only better advice is double down and buy a case!

Say Summer Refreshment with a Whisper

22 Sunday May 2016

Posted by in France, Newspaper Column 2016, Uncategorized

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Spring is upon us and summer just a few weeks away. Just like the change of seasons, it’s time to sing the praise of dry rosé.

Grape Sense LogoAlmost every year for the 8 years of this newspaper column dry rosé has been featured a time or two in warm weather. The columns usually start with a disclaimer that these pinks are not sweet but rather dry, satisfying, and delicious wines.

Rosé is one of the greatest porch-sipping wines of summer. But good dry rosé also is a great food wine and is spectacular with seafood.

The wine is diverse in that it’s made around the world and made with many different grapes. Breaking it down in the simplest of terms, red wine gets its color when the juice is left in contact with the purple skins. Rosé gets its signature pink color from greatly less time mingling with its own skin.

RoseloresThere are so many to choose from but I strongly recommend two in particular. First, are the Rosé wines from Pinot Noir. Many of the great Oregon Pinot Noir labels are now making a Rosé. More and more California wineries are adding a pink wine to their lineup as well.

Instead of a laundry lists of recommended wines, I’ll offer up just two.  The first is Martin Ray Rosé of Pinot Noir. The Sonoma Russian River Valley wine is one of the best examples you’ll find of the Pinot version. It’s very reasonably priced at $15-$16 and can be found in better wine shops.

The other recommendation is Chateau d’ Esclans “Whispering Angel” Rosé from Provence, France. Provence, in the south of France, is often considered home of the holy grail – the world’s best Rosé wines. Most of those wines are made of various blends of Grenache, Cinsaut, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and a local grape, Tibouren.

The first release of Whispering Angel was in 2007 with approximately 150,000 bottles. Rosé sales and consumption in the U.S. continue to have remarkable growth year after year. The 2016 production of Whispering Angel, alone, has exploded to more than 4.5 million bottles.

Good, drinkable Provence rosé can be found at $12-$18. But Whispering Angel, at about $20 and several others under $30, really show off the best of Provence. Another great Provence producer is Domaine d’Ott.

 

 

 

 

 

Rose’ Growth; Vineyard Harvest Time

30 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by in France, Newspaper Column 2014, Oregon

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Long-time Grape Sense readers know of my passion for dry rosé. The latest numbers show more and more Americans are enjoying the dry pink passion.

Grape Sense LogoThe Nielsen growth statistics have been rather astounding the past few years. The last reporting period covered May 2013 to May of this year showed 20 percent growth in volume of imported Provence Rosé. If that’s not impressive enough, consider mid-summer sales ending June 21 for the previous 52 weeks showing an incredible 55 percent growth in Rosé imports.

But anecdotally I’ve witnessed growth beyond the French sales. At least two of the more prominent Indianapolis-area wine shops had a considerably larger rosé selection this summer than previous years.

RoseloresDuring summer trips to Oregon and California it certainly appeared more wineries were designating precious grapes for their first or second vintage of dry rosé.

So if you haven’t tried dry Rose, what are you missing? Rosé hits just the right spot between dry white and red wines. It may be the most flexible wine in your wine rack. You can enjoy rosé with a very wide range of meals well beyond reds and whites. It’s also the best sipper in the wine rack for those evenings of small bites and a glass of wine.

My other personal favorite wine is Pinot Noir and particularly Oregon Pinot. It’s always interesting to talk to winemakers and get their take on what’s happening in the vineyard this time of year. I met Don Crank, Willamette Valley Vineyards winemaker, a couple of years ago at the Indy International Wine Competition.

“The winemaking and vineyard team and I are now working around the clock to bring in fruit from our three estate vineyards,” Crank said of the on-going fall harvest. “The grapes have reached optimal ripeness from the evenly warm vintage, and have retained their naturally bright acidity from the cool nights. What sets 2014 apart from other warm weathered years is we didn’t experience heat spikes in the vineyard, sending the grapes into sun-shock. Instead, the fruit is healthy and near-perfection.”

Crank picks Pinot Noir and Chardonnay first to make his ‘traditional-method’ sparkling wine.

Don Crank

Don Crank

“The grapes were pressed immediately to avoid picking up color or tannin from the skins and are now fermenting. We will bottle this wine after some time in barrel, and then inoculate for its secondary fermentation, which creates the sparkle.”

Harvest time is always chaotic in any wine region. It’s a little extra chaotic this fall in Napa after the Aug. 24 earthquake. The estimated losses have constantly been upgraded to nearly $80 million.

You can support some of the hardest hit wineries by going online and buying wine. Look for Robert Baile, Page Cellars, Laird, and Yates Family Winery. There are many more but those are smaller operations which can really use your wine shopping dollars.

Summertime is Rosé Wine Time

07 Saturday Jun 2014

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If you could be a super hero, mythical character or fictional leader, who would you choose?

Superman? A Mutant Ninja Turtle? Or maybe Jean ValJean?

Grape Sense LogoI’d be the Pied Piper! No, not the Middle Ages Pied Piper of Germany, who allegedly led children away from villages. Nor would I be the Pied Pier of 16th Century Germany who might have led rats from infested Dorfs! (small villages)

I’d be the Pied Piper of Provence, France, and lead you to dry, French Rosé wine.

One of the many great things about dry Rosé is that it can be made from different grapes and it’s produced all around the world. You can enjoy Cabernet, Malbec, Chambourcin, and Sangiovese Rosé.

RoseImageOregon’s Rosé of Pinot Noir and Provence Rosé tops them all for my palate. Every summer, for the past several years, I’ve written about Southern France’s famous salmon-pink wine. It excites me every May and delights me in June and July.

And it’s good news to report how other U.S. wine drinkers are in agreement. Provence Rosé wine sales continue to explode. French Provence Rosé exports went up an astounding 40 percent last year in volume and value. Astounding just too big a word or too much hyperbole for you? Measure the word’s use against the 2012 statistical report from the Provence Wine Council which reported a 41 percent increase two years ago and 62 percent jump in 2011.
“Exports of Provence Rosé to the United States show no signs of slowing down, and neither does consumer demand for rosé from Provence, the gold standard,” said Julie Peterson, in press materials, of the CIVP/Provence Wine Council’s U.S. trade office. “With these increased volumes flowing into the country, American consumers are also finding a wider variety of flavor profiles from producers across Provence.”

Besides the delightful mineralty, fruit, and freshness of dry Provence Rosé, Rosé is great for the price. Really good bottles can be found at $10-$20. As a matter of fact, Nielsen Research reports the average price per bottle is just $16.38.

Wine Travel
One of the best ways to learn more about wine and have a great vacation is travel to the great wine regions of the world. It’s been a real blessing to visit Napa/Sonoma, Italy’s Tuscany, Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Bordeaux, Chablis, and the Languedoc in France, along with California’s Central Coast in recent years.

I’m plugging two trips here so readers can follow along. I’ll be leading my first private Grape Sense wine tour June 9-13 in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. After a very short weekend, I’ll be in Italy for two weeks June 17-27. The Italy trip is for my work but I’ll be eating and drinking Italian and I’m sure to publish a few blog posts.

Follow both trips right here.

Great French Good Neighbor Story

14 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by in France, Newspaper Column 2013

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A great story has long been an awesome ingredient to generating sales and good will. Often we Midwesterner’s think we have the market cornered on those feel-good, helping-the-neighbor out stories that move people – if not product.

Grape Sense LogoBut the more you see the world, you come to realize most of us are alike whether we’re from Illinois, Michigan, France, Spain or even Indiana. The story shared here has been repeated throughout the wine world but probably new to most outside that geeky little corner of the universe.

A tremendous hail storm hit Southern France July 1, 2012. The ferocity of the storm destroyed 62 acres of vines at Chateau de Roquefort owned by Raimond de Villeneuve. The storm lasted just seven minutes but devastated his 2012 crop and is expected to cut his 2013 harvest by nearly half.

Hail insurance is pretty rare in grape growing country, particularly in Provence near the Mediterranean Sea. Local growers called the storm a once in every-50-years event.

Raimond Villeneuve

Raimond Villeneuve

‘It all began at about 7 o’clock in the evening with an unexpected hailstorm of barbaric violence,” Villeneuve is widely reported detaling. “In a mere 7 minutes this wall of ice completely devastated everything growing in the vineyard … not a leaf or a single bunch remained; nothing survived the bombardment. I can still see myself running backwards and forwards through the vines, up to my knees at times in streams of hailstones, petrified, blue with cold. Shrouds of white mist were rising from the tons of ice lying on the still warm ground. When I had completed the tour of our 24 hectare of vines, I knew there wouldn’t be the faintest chance of harvesting anything. I knew that time would be required for the vines to recover from such a severe onslaught; I felt like somebody shipwrecked in the middle of nowhere!”

But then, much like any Midwestern farm field, Villeneuve’s neighbors arrived. Or more accurately, friends and neighbors from across Provence came to his rescue. Owners from 35 different estates, including some of the smallest and most prominent, offered up fruit so Chateau de Roquefort would have a 2012 production.

So Villeneuve, with the help, decided to make three wines – a red, white and rosé which they would call a “special anti-hail solidarity” cuvée. And they decided to call the wines GRÊLE, which in English means “hail.”

GreleWineEven more impressive than the solidarity of the winemakers, was the notoriously strict French winemaking governing bodies allowing the wine to be made. France has more legislation detailing what you can grow, where you can grow it, and how it goes into the bottle than most other countries combined. The Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Syrah, Cabernet, Cinsault, and more came from all over Provence and different appelations. That’s why the wine is simply called a cuvee.

Many others pitched in and provided needed help such as refrigeration trucks to move the donated grapes.

“This adventure still seems almost surreal today, and I think it will take me quite a while to appreciate what has actually happened over these last few months,” Villeneuve recently told the French press.

And by the way, the rosé is pretty terrific. The unique label with the names of the Domaines is distinctive as the wine. As a huge Provence fan, I was skeptical until the first taste. It’s a bit less crisp or acidic than many Rosé wines but has a very rich mouth feel. At $14-$16 is a great wine buy and and even better story.

It’s Pink, Shapely, and Delicious!

31 Wednesday Jul 2013

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I’ve become a huge proponent of dry Rosé wines and particularly Rosé from France’s Provence region.

RoseBottlesI get asked all of the time how to pick out the good ones, where to find them, price points, and if I’m sure they’re not sweet.

In reverse order – they’re not sweet, great dry Rosé wines can be found from low teens to mid $20 range, and you can find them in any good wine shop.

Now how do you pick out the good ones? First, go to trusted producers and names you’ve heard before. If it’s the best of the best, those wonderful Provence wines, it can be even simpler – just look at the bottle.

Not every Provence winemaker uses the old-style curvy wine bottle but many still do. I can’t think of a single Rosé I’ve purchased in that bottle that’s not been pretty darn good.

I had that not-so-bright, but nonetheless, profound thought in a wine shop tonight. I bought two of the shapely bottles and look forward to further testing my theory.

Just buy a curvy bottle of Provence Rosé and see if you don’t agree!

Dry Rose Captures American Palates

20 Monday May 2013

Posted by in France, Newspaper Column 2013

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Vins de Provence graphic

Vins de Provence graphic

The numbers are staggering. Americans are falling in love with French dry Rosé. Last year imported Rosé went up 28 percent – most of that coming from Provence, France.

Grape Sense Logo“The growth is partly led by the Mediterranean diet,” said Julie Peterson of the Provence Wine Council. “Rosé from Provence is less than 3 milligrams of sugar.  It’s not very sweet, but has fruit flavors. But it’s a dry wine and it’s made with red grapes. So you have that great character of a red wine that is dry with a white wine feel in the mouth.”

But the explosive growth is not new. While most of the wine market grows at single digits in the best years, Provence imports to the U.S. have grown at double-digit rates every year since 2003.

“Provence is the biggest exporter and producer of Rosé in the world and they’ve been making Rosé for 26 centuries – or as long as anyone has been making wine. The largest percent of their production is Rosé. Provence is the gold standard and Americans are discovering that.”

Rose' low resPeterson’s job is to help spread the word. She was in Chicago earlier this year for Provence producers’ first visit to the Windy City. More than 20 Provence winemakers poured their wines for importers, wholesalers, and the wine media.

That salmon-pink wine is not setting on shelves long either.  U.S. retail sales of Rosé wines priced at or above $12 a bottle grew by 28 percent volume and 23 percent on dollars in 2012. That’s a stunning comparison to the 1.8 percent of volume and 4.8 percent in dollars for total U.S. retail table wine sales.

Rosé wine has been a fixture in France for many years. It’s often consumed at lunch, near the ocean and particularly during warm weather. But it’s also a remarkably versatile wine with food.

It’s important to understand, as Peterson noted, that the dry light pink wine is made from red wine grapes. Red wine is given extensive contact with the grape skins to create the color while Rose’ has minimal contact with the skins to get the desired pink hues and lighter flavor.

Provence Rosé is a blend made from some combination of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvedre, Tibouren, Carignan, or Cabernet Sauvignon.

In Provence, Rosé is king with nearly 88 percent of all production devoted to Rose’ over traditional red and white wines. Provence produces 40 percent of France’s AOC Rosé. The French AOC designation is an assurance of authenticity and quality as established by government regulation.

Simply put for the average wine consumer, dry Rosé is not the pink white Zinfandel from the 1970s. Dry Rosé is a sophisticated wine of strawberry, mineral and acid that’s refreshing all alone or delicious with lighter meals. And most really great Provence is priced less than $10!

Howard’s Provence Picks: Chateau La Tour De Beraud, Chateau Revelette, and two personal favorites, Andieux & Fils and Domaine Ott.