Rosé, Brosé, Frosé – So hot right now

ROSÉSo Hot Right Now

Ah Rosé, that beautiful wine with a pinkish hue loved by both young and old, and even men, who have been wearing pink shirts for a while now, and for some reason have suddenly realised how delicious it is, and that there’s no shame in drinking something pink in colour. It has even been given more street cred, being referred to as “brosé”.

Rosé has its origins in France, when ancient Greeks travelled to Western Europe and founded the colony of Marseille in 600 BC, producing a pale red wine we now know as rosé. Of course, darker red wines were introduced in the Marseille regions, but the famed Grecian rosé remained ever popular, and similarly is seeing a renaissance today. The most well-known region for producing the highest quality rosé is Provence in the south of France. Rosé makes up around half of all Provençal wine production.

There’s no shame in drinking something pink in colour. It has even been given more street cred, being referred to as “brosé”.

In Australia, rosé is the fastest growing wine varietal

THE COLOUR

Rosé is made by juicing red grapes and allowing the juice to soak with the skins where it incorporates some of the colour, creating a softer pink hue. As the two soak together, the colour from the skin bleeds into the juice, this process is known as maceration. For rosé, maceration is usually a shorter period than red wine, around two hours. The time of maceration will determine the flavour and the colour of the rosé. The skins are then removed and the juice allowed to ferment. The colour can range from a pale onion skin orange to a vivid near purple, depending on varietal and technique.

The flavour ranges depending on type of grape. The types of grapes used for rosé are Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault and Zinfandel.

THE TASTE

In general rosé is fresh on the palate with a crisp acidity. It can be sweet or dry. The primary flavours are red fruits such as ripe strawberry, raspberry, and watermelon, in addition to citrus, finishing with hints similar to celery or rhubarb. Of course, the type of grape the rosé wine is made with will vary the taste. Red fruits with a balanced acidity give rosé a refreshing dry taste.

Old World (European) style of rosé tend to be more dry, whereas the New World (contemporary) style may be less dry, but this is a rule of thumb as opposed to a hard and fast rule. Rosé is best when served chilled, with some consumers choosing to add ice to rosé.

WHY ROSÉ IS SO HOT RIGHT NOW?

Now is the moment for rosé, once considered a distant and less popular cousin of both red and white, the pink hued wine has witnessed growth in both imports and demand, with sparkling, rosé and premium wines being the three fastest growing wine segments.

It’s easy to drink, with a refreshing dry taste satisfy a broad spectrum of consumers. Rosé is nothing if not versatile and lends itself to being a varietal that can be consumed year round and in a wide range of settings; it can accompany a BBQ, be paired with food and is equally as good at a picnic or at home. It is also ideal for mixing and can play well in cocktails, particularly with fruits or in a spritz, and now the frosé, has given it a new added dimension.

Rosé is no longer neglected to being a summer wine to be consumed on a sunny terrace, preferably in Provence. This has also led to an increase in demand for high quality, premium rosé that is being produced around the world.

Rosé is seeing its popularity rise in Asia as well, Group Sommelier for Hong Kong’s JIA Group, Artur Aronov noting, “The gaining popularity could be attributed to Hong Kong’s rise in younger and female wine drinkers who are increasingly becoming a force in the wine market. This audience is less chained to the red wine market than their older male counterparts. It can also be attributed to Hong Kong’s hot and balmy weather which encourages consumers to drink something light and fresh”.

Direct Sales Representative and Assistant Winemaker at Sally’s Paddock in Victoria’s Pyrenees region, Hendrik van der Mije, who grew up in the Provence region of France, believes the popularity of rosé in Australia is due not only to people’s curiosity but the climate of Australia suiting rosé. “In the south of France rosé is known as a wine for outdoor drinking, whether its in a garden, BBQ, or at the beach, and traditionally consumed during the day more than evenings. It also normally wouldn’t be consumed when it is below 20 degrees, so I think Australia has a great climate for rosé. As it is suited to the climate, it will get more popular”, said Hendrik. While Sally’s Paddock winery doesn’t currently offer a rosé, Hendrik is looking to make one in the next vintage with the French Provencal technique, in part due to his love of rosé, and its increase in popularity.

In Australia, rosé is the fastest growing wine varietal. In an article featured in The Australian earlier this year, Peter Nixon of Dan Murphy’s wine panel says that in 2016, “We have seen a sales growth of between 200 and 300 per cent in the over $10 rose category over the last 12 months. It is that dramatic”.

In fact, rosé has been so increasingly popular that the weekend holiday destination, The Hamptons in New York State, was close to running out of rosé in 2012, and in 2014 stores in the area limited customers to four bottles.

Fuller flavoured Australian rosé wines are benefiting from the increased demand including Turkey Flat and Charlie Melton’s Rose of Virginia.

Get it while it’s hot!

The Frosé

Love slushies, flavours and rosé? They have been brought together wonderfully by the Frosé: A rosé slushie launched by Bar Primi in New York, and now everyone is drinking it. It’s simple, refreshing, and damn tasty. Some of the more popular frosé ingredients are dry rosé (of course!), strawberries, lemon juice, and watermelon. All that is needed to make a frosé is throw all the ingredients in a blender. The ingredients for a frosé can be selected on personal preference and creation so feel free to add any seasonal fruit of your choice. Currently Bar Primi serve up two versions on their menu, a frosé made with Sicilian rosé, rosato vermouth and strawberry; and a fall frosé consisting of frozen lambrusco, melon, blood orange and the bitter aperitivo, cappelletti. In the US, social media personality Josh Ostrovsky, who you might know as The Fat Jew (@ TheFatJewish on Instagram) released White Girl Rosé in 2015 along with writer David Oliver Cohen (aka Babe Walker of @whitegrlproblem on Twitter) in response to its rising popularity which led to a rosé shortage in the Hamptons, New York during the summer of 2014. In addition, Ostrovsky is a big fan of the frosé, “The future hasn’t been that great, we still can’t eat our meals in pill form, and our cars don’t fold up into suitcases. We don’t even have f**king hoverboards. But as of last summer, we now have frozen rosé drinks, and that’s definitely progress”.

Check out White Girl Rosé at whitegirlwine.com/store

St~Germain Elderflower liqueur also upped the ante with the St Frosé cocktail, consisting of St~Germain, rosé, lime and sugar, and it’s delicious. With its delicate floral aroma and hints of tropical fruits, grapefruit and pear, St~Germain is versatile enhances any drink. No stranger to wine based cocktails, St~Germain make a perfect addition to a spritz with brut Champagne or dry white wine.

ST~FROSÉ COCKTAIL

Ingredients

• 30ml St~Germain • 150ml Rosé • 10ml Lime • 7.5-10ml Sugar

Method

Place ingredients together with crushed ice and blend.

Garnish: Lemon peel The future hasn’t been that great, we still can’t eat our meals in pill form, and our cars don’t fold up into suitcases. We don’t even have f**king hoverboards. But as of last summer, we now have frozen rosé drinks, and that’s definitely progress JOSH OSTROVSKY

(A.K.A. The Fat Jew)