Dry rosés are are experiencing a renaissance in Australia, winemakers say.
The dry style - both still and sparkling - as opposed to the sweeter wines that used to be popular, are perceived by the consumer as lighter in alcohol and 'fresher' than a traditional red wine, Bernard Hickin, chief winemaker at Jacob's Creek in the Barossa Valley said.
'Five years ago we made no rosés, and now we have four,' he said.
Jacob's Creek makes two roses from Shiraz grapes and a third from Grenache and Sangiovese. It also produces a sparkling rosé.
Other wine companies that have begun producing dry rosés in the last few years include Angove's and Yangarra Estate, both of South Australia.
'Fashions and taste have changed,' said Tim Boydell, executive director at Angove's, whose winemaker is rosé specialist Tony Ingle.
'We started to make rosé because the market was recoiling from big, jammy red wines and going away from oaky Chardonnays, both of which had dominated the market.'
'Because of more dry-style rosé wines being produced, rosé has found a broader appeal as a 'serious' wine,' added Galen McCorkle of Yangarra.
The current growth in the market has benefited wineries like Victoria's Taltarni Vineyards and the Barossa Valley's Charles Melton Wines, which have produced dry rosés for decades.
Melton reports a sales increase of 25% a year over the last several years, and Taltarni's Brut Rosé 'Tache' sparkling wine is seeing strong growth both domestically and in global markets, the winery reports.
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I cannot argue with the content of your article, just with the timing. The rose` revolution has been in force in Australia for 3-4 years now, and especially in the warmer regions, where unwooded Cabernet and Shiraz has been converted to a confectionery style with a touch of residual sugar........
However, over the past 2-3 years, producers in Australia have taken on the rose` challenge, and produced dryer wines based on texture as well as 'gluggability'. There's no shortage of pinot-based salmon-coloured rose`s firmly established in Victoria's Yarra Valley, and these are serious wines, not 'lolly water' confections. Other parts of Australia have adapted the rose` challenge to suit their needs; for example the 'warm' Swan Valley in Western Australia is awash with Cabernet and Shiraz based rose` wines which are squarely aimed at the BBQ market.
In other parts of Australia, there is potential to produce fabulous rose`, and higher-altitude wineries like Pizzini are nailing it - semi-savoury food-friendly styles, as are a couple of Margaret River producers.
Notwithstanding the finer points, for Australian climates (and let's talk about the northern parts of Australia, where men aren't just beer drinkers any more, they are people wih six-figure incomes), the fruiter, obvious, and slightly sugar driven styles should win acceptance on a Saturday afternoon.
The way the market stands, rose` will remain a poor cousin, until people understand what can be done with the style. You can now pay $30 a bottle for an Aussie rose` which implies the recognition is on the way. However this will be a slow process, despite the obvious climatic advantages of a decent rose`.
Allan Wilkerson
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