Is Pink Wine the New Winter White? (WinePW)

Rosé is not just for summer.

There, it’s official, according to the director general of the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de Provence, who told French radio recently that rosés are shaking off their lightweight image. But was that pronouncement merely a marketing ploy, or are consumers really lapping up rosés year-round?

It turns out tastes are actually changing – in France, at least – and some would say as France goes, so goes the world. Sales of red wine in France are declining. The younger generation is eating less meat and turning to lighter, lower-alcohol wines. A 2022 survey found red wine consumption had dropped by almost a third in the previous decade when other studies showed meat-eating had dropped by 12% in France (source).

So, for this post about “pinks” for Wine Pairing Weekend, I’m focusing on rosés, not from France, but from my own “backyard.” I’ve picked out three West Coast rosés, one each from Washington, Oregon and California. I’ll tell you why I’ve chosen these wines further down. Hope you will also check out my fellow bloggers’ posts and consider joining the “pretty in pink” party on threads.net this Saturday, Feb. 10, at 8 am PT/11 am ET.

Some rosé facts
(from Rosé Wines World Tracking 2023 summary report)

• At a time when wine consumption in general is down, global rosé production continues to rise. France, Spain and the United States, in that order, accounted for 66% of worldwide rosé production in 2021.
• The top three rosé-consuming countries in 2021 were (in order) France, Germany and the United States. These three countries accounted for 60% of global rosé consumption.
• Approximately one in 10 bottles of wine consumed worldwide is a bottle of rosé. This pattern, which was originally observed several years ago, grew stronger in 2021. In France, the number is one in three bottles.
• France is the no. 1 producer, no. 1 consumer, no. 1 exporter in value (no. 2 behind Spain in volume) and no. 1 importer in volume of rosé wines.
• Outside France, “new” rosé wine-making countries, characterized by more than 50% growth within 10 years, were Chile, New Zealand, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.
• The U.S. market is shifting towards “dry,” higher value rosés and away from its traditional blush/white zinfandel.

Eight Bells 2022 Red Willow Vineyard Mourvèdre Rosé, Yakima Valley
Eight Bells is a nautically themed winery tucked away in a north Seattle neighborhood just a couple miles from the University of Washington. They source their grapes from two highly acclaimed Washington state vineyards – Red Willow and Boushey – and then from specific blocks within those vineyards. This allows the producer to pick fruit at the desired ripeness and maturity year after year.

The multigenerational Sauer family owns Red Willow. A pioneer in the Washington wine industry, Mike Sauer is responsible for the first plantings of Syrah and other grapes in the state. I had the privilege of visiting Red Willow and spending time with Mike and his son Jonathan in the spring of 2021. You can read about my visit here.

• Why I love this producer – A “Cheers” kind of down-home vibe permeates Eight Bells. Repeat customers are the winery’s mainstay. If I lived nearby, I could wander into their tasting room, and everyone would know my name. Plus, they use top-quality Washington grapes and consistently produce fruity (but not jammy), smoothly finished wines.
• My tasting notes – Styled after the rosés of Bandol, this salmon-colored Mourvèdre rosé has mixed berry aromas, and grapefruit and herbs on the palate. Medium+ acidity. Alcohol: 13.8%. Price: $28.
• The pairing – We tasted through recent Eight Bells vintages, including this charming rosé, at the winery last January. For pairing the rosé, Pete Zachara, sommelier and winery manager, suggested an herbed Havarti cheese, like the one pictured (below), with dill. He also recommended Sumo mandarin oranges, with a drizzle of Spanish olive oil and generous sprinkling of sea salt. Winter is the perfect season for citrus, he noted. I had my doubts, but the combination was oh-so-good with rosé. Salt, of course, is the clincher. Also served up a spinach salad (with feta cheese, slivered almonds and raspberries) and this broccoli stalk soup – all yummy with the rosé, especially when seasoned with a little salt.

2021 Longevity “Debra’s Cuvée” Rosé of Pinot Noir, California
Longevity Wines is a family-owned, urban winery and certified minority-owned business based in the Livermore Valley wine region of northern California. Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association voted Longevity Winery of the Year in 2018.

Founders Debra and Phil Long opened Longevity in 2008 when their winemaking hobby outgrew their garage. Debra came up with the name. Phil designed the logo based on the artisan glass hearts he gave to Debra every Valentine’s Day. Sadly, Debra was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2016 and passed away in 2019. Phil and his son, Assistant Winemaker Phil Long Jr., produce approximately 2,500 to 3,000 cases of Longevity Vintner Select wines in Livermore Valley. A partnership with Bronco Wine Company that began in 2019 allows Phil to make his Longevity Classic California wines on a much larger scale.

• Why I love this producer – How cool is it to celebrate Black History Month and Valentine’s Day while opening a bottle of Longevity rosé? So pleased to be supporting a BIPOC producer and this crowd-pleasing wine.
• My tasting notes – Hot pink color and subtle mixed berry aromas. Palate of ripe grapefruit with medium acidity and perhaps a touch of residual sugar. Alcohol: 12%. Price: $16.99.
• The pairing – After our epiphany about salt, we paired this wine with bagels, cream cheese and smoked salmon (lox) topped with sliced red onion and cucumber. Also rewarmed the leftover broccoli soup. A happy blend, but this quaffable wine doesn’t really need food.

Troon 2021 Kubli Bench Rosé, Applegate Valley
55% Malbec, 35% Tinta Roriz, 10% Counoise

Kubli Bench, the site of Troon Vineyard and Farm, is an old river terrace composed of fertile soils and abundant groundwater in the Applegate Valley of southern Oregon. Five years ago, the new owners of Troon ripped out everything planted there and began a process of agricultural regeneration that is quite literally bearing fruit. Troon is Demeter Biodynamic® Certified and only the fourth farm in the world to become Regenerative Organic Gold Certified™️.

A holistic approach, biodynamic farming was 19^th century Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner’s reaction to the industrial agriculture prevalent in his day and still going strong in ours. Instead of loading the soil with synthetically produced fertilizers and pesticides, Steiner experimented with and advocated for using organic means of returning fertility and diversity to the soil.

Essentially, every living thing at Troon – from the micro-organisms to the plants to the chickens and sheep grazing in the vineyard – plays a role in creating a biodiverse and healthy environment. In what is known as a “closed loop system,” Troon produces its own compost and compost preparations, and they make their own compost teas that they inject directly into the soil.

Nate Wall’s minimalist winemaking allows the farm’s terroir (sense of place) to shine in every glass of Troon wine. I visited Troon last November and wrote about it here.

• Why I love this producer – The phrase they use at Troon is “building biodiversity.” I call it “repairing the world.” Their methods are sequestering carbon and mitigating the effects of climate change – and their wines are farm-fresh delicious.
• My tasting notes – Troon is intentional about making rosé. Grapes are picked at lower sugar levels and higher acidity than would they have been for a red wine. Salmon-colored in the glass, the nose on this wine is peachy with a touch of melon. Medium+ acidity on the palate with lemon, herbs and a bit of salinity. Alcohol: 11.5%. Price: $22.99.
• The pairing – Same as for Eight Bells and same result – it works!

Here is what the #WinePW writers are sharing on the subject of pink wines:

• A Dozen Rosés for Valentines and Galentines Part 1: 6 Old World Wines + Croque Monsieur and Part 2: 6 CA Wines + Monte Cristo Sandwiches by Wine Predator…Gwendolyn Alley
• Is Pink Wine the New Winter White? by My Full Wine Glass
• Kimchi Spaghetti with Black Girl Magic Rosé by Cooking Chat
• Marry Me Chicken and Cantina Zaccagnini Il Vino Dal Tralcetto Rose; A Perfect Pairing for your Valentine by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Oltrepo’ Cruasé Wines Paired With Sette Cene Extravaganza by Avvinare
• Pink Pét-Nats from Around the World with Some Loved Up Bites by Culinary Cam
• Please Be Vine, Rosé Bubbles! byThe Quirky Cork
• Rose-shaped pasta and Rosé! by Crushed Grape Chronicles
• Salmon en Papillote with Coopers Hawk Katie Lee Biegel Rosé by Our Good Life
• Shrimp Scampi Pizza Paired with Masciarelli Montepulciano Rosé by Vino Travels