Coming up rosés

Producers in Provence hope to convert UK drinkers, discovers Adam Withrington.

Around the vineyards of Provence there is an unbelievable aroma. It pervades every country lane and every building and just seems to hang in the air. It sticks to your clothes and is absolutely fantastic. To paraphrase Moe the bartender from The Simpsons: "it's like there's a party going on and everyone's invited".

And the best part of it is that every wine here has this magic smell emanating from it. When I ask one of the producers where the smell comes from, he simply replies with a shrug of the shoulders: "C'est le terroir", which means: "It's the land."

I was in Provence to meet several rosé wine producers who have joined forces to raise the profile of the product and launch a campaign in the UK. Rosé is the up and coming success story in French wine according to AC Nielsen figures. The volume of rosé drunk by French households has risen by nearly 10 per cent in just 12 years, while during the same period the percentage of red wine drunk there has fallen by 15.2 per cent.

Change of image​

One local tells me: "Provence is the cradle of rosé" so this is big news for the region's grape growers. Fifteen of the area's rosé producers have joined forces to form the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de Provence (CIVP) in a £3m project. It hopes to sign up more producers later this year.

Part of the CIVP's avowed strategy is to crack the UK - one of its most lucrative export markets. It has produced a Provence-branded bottle in which all CIVP rosé will be sold. It has created a generic label providing information about the region and wines it produces which will go on the back. Individual winemakers' labels will be carried on the front.

The CIVP is looking to change the wine's image, so all rosé from the region sold into the UK will be under the banner Dry Rosé de Provence. Most rosé currently consumed in the UK is quite sweet but these producers are aligning it more to the ever-popular dry white wine market.

Olivier Ravoire from Cellier Val de Durance, which works in partnership with 30 different domains and Chateaux across the region, says: "Dry white wines are very popular in the UK which is why we have gone for the dry rosé taste, rather than the sweet rosé you normally get."

Magali Lombard-Couvignou of the Domaine St Andre de Figuiere adds: "The question we have been asking ourselves is: are the British ready for a dry, pale rosé wine with an element of sweetness? We hope so, because we have had a hard time in the past promoting our wines to the UK."

Enjoy it all year round​

This may seem to be a strange time to be writing an article on rosé. After all, the British summer, or what there was of it, is drawing rapidly to a close, and most consumers think of rosé only as a summer drink. But the CIVP wants to step out of the confines of this narrow limitation.

I was struck by just how keen wine producers are to conquer the UK pub market. They argue that their rosé wines represent a great business opportunity for British licensees. They stress that these rosés can be enjoyed year round.

What is most impressive is that the CIVP members want to adapt to the UK market rather than expect the UK to accept something that may not be right for it. I am convinced that consumers in Britain will love the drier rosés and that it presents a great opportunity for licensees to improve and widen their wine offer.

According to AC Nielsen statistics, there was a 28 per cent growth in volumes of rosé sold in the UK last year, while Mintel forecasts that the value of the rosé market will reach £35m this year.

It is little wonder then that the Provencal producers are keen to get in on the act and not be complacent about New World producers, such as Australia and South Africa - an attitude displayed by French wine producers in the past.

The new product has now been launched in the UK and judging by the wines I tried over there, Dry Rosés de Provence are well worth a look.

There are some fantastic choices, some light and suitable for sale over the counter, and some heavier selections which would complement food perfectly.

The winegrowers of Provence are fully behind this new move and it will be interesting to see how it pans out.

Rosé wines to dry for​

• Chateau Beaulieu rosé 2003. Described as "a fruity, gastronomic rosé", so it would go well with food. UK distributor: Matthew Clark: 01275 836 100.
• La Provencale de Chateau Beaulieu rosé 2003. From the same producer as above, but much lighter and easier to drink. "A more fun wine". UK distributor: Matthew Clark (pictured top)​.
• Chateau de Fonscolombe rosé 2003. "Light, fruity and really drinkable. Great for serving over the counter or matching with food." UK distributors: Merchant Vintners, Hayman Barweel Jones, Mistral Wines and Alexander wines.
• Cuvee Magali rosé 2003 (from the Domaine St Andre de Figuiere). UK distributor: DP Wines: 020 7924 3638.