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Rosé lessons for wine trade

Published:  05 September, 2008

The tidal wave of gloomy economic news, fuelled by the Chancellor himself in the spirit of openand honest government, surely cannot diminish the optimism of rosé wine producers.

The tidal wave of gloomy economic news, fuelled by the Chancellor himself in the spirit of openand honest government, surely cannot diminish the optimism of rosé wine producers.

The latest figures from the regular survey conducted by Wine Intelligence for the WSTA confirm the significant growth in rosé wine consumption over the last three years. But it's the analysis of who is driving this growth that may have implications for the rest of the business.

The number of regular wine drinkers who drink rosé has risen by 60% in the last three years. A closer inspection of the figures show that over half of the female rosé drinkers are drinking more than they were in 2005. What's more, 70% of rosé drinkers in the 21-24 age group are drinking more; a quarter of so-called "weekly treaters", a group that tends to be newer to wine as well as less frequent consumers, say the same.

A variety of explanations have been proffered for the rise in rosé consumption in recent years. It's often linked to our increasing taste for barbecues and the joys of summer outdoor living. As I write amid the latest downpour, that seems a questionable judgement. What's more telling is the fact these figures suggest rosé is appealing to groups of people who have drunk relatively little wine before.

Could it be that less experienced wine drinkers come to this without any of the associations sometimes attached to wine taste, such as the notion that women tend to prefer white and men prefer red? Or could it be that the rosé fan base is broadening because people simply like the taste?

Certainly taste is cited by a good proportion of survey respondents (24%) as the primary reason for drinking more rosé.

Yet the survey also showed that the factor in wine selection which has increased most in importance in recent years is the promotional offer.

And rosé's growth follows fast in the wake of strong marketing campaigns by some of the leading brands, promoting rosé or Californian "blush" wines.

Perhaps a mixture of consumers with an eye for a bargain and the persuasive powers of a traditional marketing push are the real driving forces behind the rise in rosé.

Jeremy Beadles is chief executive of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association

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