The Campaign For Real Rosé

In 1988 I launched “The Campaign For Real Rosé” with a week of "Listel Gris de Gris Dinners" at Methuselahs. Guy Prouheze, a Michelin starred chef from Aumont Aubrac flew in and cooked some brilliant food. It was a lot of fun – nothing too serious (we even had music by The Keith Nichol’s Hot Six on the Friday night)…..except the food and wine!

In those halcyon days pink stuff accounted for the worthy figure of 0.05% of total wine sales in Blighty – and most of that was Mateus. We were the only places actively promoting Rosé. At that time I had three places and I often wonder what % of London’s Provence Rosé sales were ours.

And nowadays, a mere 21 years’ later Rosé accounts for 12% of total sales; in fact it is the only booming sector in the wine business. But, there is a negative side to the story. 51% of these sales are the revolting sweet industrial concoctions from our stateside Friends.

On the plus side – there is now an amazing array of styles available. I have four very different pinkos, from the light, zippy fragrant beauty created by my good friend Roseline Schelcher, Chateau de Chausse (Provence) £22.50, to the sophisticated bone dry Touraine Pineau d’Aunis (Loire) £19.95, the food friendly, warming Bodegas Farina ‘Colegiata’ Rosado (Toro) £19.95, and the extroverted Barossa beauty Yalumba Sangiovese Rosé £21.50 There is always one available by the Glass & Carafe.

And speaking of Rosé, Roseline finished the Chausse harvest in glorious sunshine late Monday September 14th. Some of her neighbours were only half way through harvest, but Roseline had started as early as possible because the grapes were ripe, and she didn’t like the look of the long-term forecast. Well, she was right; on Tuesday 15th the whole of the Var and Alpes-Maritimes were hit by the most violent September rain storms in living memory! Cannes received the September average rainfall in 3 hours, as the streets were transformed into rivers. And, the rains lasted for three more days. I have tasted the unfermented juice already, and it is going to be another brilliant Chausse vintage ……but the neighbours are not going to be so lucky!

“I have enjoyed great health at a great age because everyday since I can remember I have consumed a bottle of wine except when I have not felt well. Then I have consumed two bottles.”
A Bishop of Seville