The vibrant red sun with a soft orange glow is making its way to the horizon. The air gently wafts honeysuckle and jasmine wrapped in the heat of the day. What could be more indicative of summer than the addition of a glass of Rose Wine?
Rosé is more than just a passing trend, it has become an integral part of society as consumer trends have changed and new life styles have emerged: meals that are less structured, the increasing popularity of ethnic cuisine from around the world, greater simplicity, new encounters, good times and instant gratification.
In the past if Rose wine was mentioned we automatically thought of Mateus, which set record sales in Europe, the US and dominated the Portuguese wine industry for most of the 20th century. Mateus’s popularity has declined in the recent years, although they still have a presence in the European and US markets. The trend is now towards traditional, drier rosés as well as American Zinfandel Rose.
Our extensive LWC portfolio promotes the choice of three fabulous Californian Zinfandel Rose wines.
Healy & Gray, White Rose and Monterey Bay which are all in LWC’stop 20 selling wines. Unbelievably this market leading sweet Rose wine was the result of the wine making process going wrong.In the early 1970’s demand for white wine exceeded the availability of white wine grapes. As a solution many California producers made "white" wine from red grapes, in a form of saignée, a production technique involving minimal contact with the grape skin thus keeping the wine light in colour. In 1975, Sutter Home's "White Zinfandel" wine experienced a stuck fermentation, a problem in which the yeast dies off before all the sugar is turned to alcohol. Winemaker Bob Trinchero put it aside for two weeks, and upon tasting it decided to sell this pinker, sweeter wine. Zinfandel Rose was born...
For those whose pallet enjoys a drier alternative then we recommend the Sereno Pinot Grigio Blush which has an abundance of red fruit flavours with just a hint of vanilla on the finish. Up and coming wines include the Fildefere Syrah Rose whose modern bottle sports a funky flip top, the entrance to an excellent wine which produces wonderful cherry aromas. Well worth trying, but beware one glass is never enough!