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.
Written by Janice Fuhrman
