Οne of the wine categories that has dramatically improved in recent years is undoubtedly rose. I remember one of my first jobs, many years ago, where I had to manage 2,500 different wines from every corner of the globe – among them, the insultingly low number of just one rosé (V.D.P. du Var, Domaine des Triennes). The Wine Director I worked with at the time, Claude Douard, was one of many who, quite rightly, didn’t think much of rosé wines.

That was during the period when Marc Davies, the sommelier at Spondi (sadly no longer with us), described rosé wine as “like kissing your sister on the mouth,” and critics around the world dismissed it as a “pizza wine.” It wasn’t the bridesmaid in the story; in fact, it wasn’t even invited to the wedding.

On the production side, the Tavel region on the outskirts of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which had been exclusively producing rosé since 1936, was making the only serious effort toward quality. Provence was producing its characteristic pale rosé, but that wasn’t particularly popular beyond the Côte d’Azur. At the same time, the moment had clearly passed for the dark-hued Clairet wines of Bordeaux, as well as our own kokkinelia, which had already faded as a viable option, while the rest of the wine world made rosé out of whatever leftovers they had – mostly red grapes.

And then suddenly, producers decided to take it seriously. The climate, with its increasingly prolonged periods of sunshine, favored its production. Sidewalk cafés and town squares began filling up with glasses of rosé in every shade. A big part of this success rested on the fact that rosé satisfies a deep-seated consumer desire for guilt-free drinking.In the Greek market, rosé may also offer a much-needed escape from semi-sweet wines.

At present, rosé production runs on two tracks:
• The pale rosés of Provence and the many “wannabe” versions from every corner of the globe, and
• The darker, more food-friendly versions – the ones our French friends describe as more “gastronomic.”

I have a feeling a third category will soon emerge: sparkling rosé. Even if just for cinematic reasons, since the bubbles don’t really change the flavor profile, whether rosé or white.

In the first category, we’re talking about light, refreshing wines that are perfect as an aperitif but also flexible enough for the dining table. The fact that this trend began on the French Riviera naturally lends some glamour to these pale-colored, delicate wines. The second category includes more structured wines (relatively speaking, for rosé), with greater intensity in both aroma and flavor.

In the Greek vineyard, there are grape varieties rich in pigment, and we already have some notable examples from Agiorgitiko, Mandilaria, Mavrodaphne and even Syrah, which have earned the appreciation of consumers thanks to their well-structured, full-bodied, food-worthy rosés. In a way, they scoff at the light red wines of the past (called kokkinelia in Greece). Alternatively, Xinomavro offers, across all its zones, wines of true pedigree, with a more delicate flavor profile – ideal as an aperitif.

In closing, I believe rosé is here to stay. It’s neither a trend nor the “next big thing.” Sometimes, history simply steps in to correct past mistakes.

Cheers!