Rosé? In winter? Groundbreaking. No, really, it is. Until relatively recently, rosé was strictly a summertime drink, made for hazy days by the pool and not suitable for the less sunkissed ends of the year. That’s right, maybe it’s not all in your head, maybe the waiter did seem a bit weirded out when you ordered the rosé off the list the other week. But it seems like that’s an outdated attitude: wine world consensus now says that rosé is allowed out after its late September curfew.
This shift appears to have come off the back of the general rise of rosé, which has been on the cards for a while now, with sales of the blushed wine steadily increasing since 2017. In France specifically, the number of rosé drinkers has grown by more than 50% in the last 15 years. And with that came the debunking of a few rosé myths: it’s always sweet (false), it doesn’t go well with food (also false), it’s too much of a ‘girlie’ drink (sadly, people will still find this sexist stereotype a reason to turn their noses up at rosé – is it all Lisa Vanderpump’s fault? – though the ‘brosé’ revolution is underway), etc.
And ‘rosé’s only for summer’ went along with them. So here we are, well and truly out of rosé season, hunting for the best bottles of pink. We’ve called in a few favours and asked for tip-offs from some of the city’s most exciting wine bars – here are the fruits of that search. Cheers to a rosé-tinted winter.
Chateau Picoron, Madam I’m Adam
This Merlot rosé from Australian-owned, Bordeaux-based producer Chateau Picoron comes recommended by Sia Smith of Finley’s in Hoxton. While this wine definitely has some more summery elements – the notes of fresh strawberries and grapefruit, for example – there’s an overall creaminess that makes this perfect for all seasons.
Jordi Llorens, Can-Vi Rosat
Kirsty Tinkler of Weino Bib recommends the Rosat from Jordi Llorens’ Can-Vi range. She says,
“his Rosat is a perfect autumn rose – darker towards being a light, chilled red – which to me means a lot more fruit flavours and interest from the red skins”. And the fact that it comes in a can means you can count on this wine having a lower carbon footprint.
Château de Berne, La Grande Cuvée Rosé
This uniquely aged rosé from Provence-based producer Château de Berne is touted as “the ideal rosé for red wine drinkers”. Its vibrant and complex flavour profile includes notes of citrus, stone and exotic fruit – plus a hint of spice solidifies this as a dreamy autumn/winter wine. Like the sound of that? Our INSIDERS can save 30% on bottles here.
Entre Vinyes, Pet Nat Rosé
Another recommended by Sia Smith of Finley’s in Hoxton, Entre Vinyes’ Pet Nat is a dry rosé made with Garnacha grapes from Penedes in Catalunya, just south of Barcelona. This one’s perfect for a party.
Domaine de la Tour du Bon, Bandol Rosé
Sia Smith from Finley’s also recommends this Bandol rosé, which is a blend of Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Grenache grapes. This wine is full of savoury and spicy flavours but still represents the more delicate side of rosé.
Olivier Cohen, Déferlante Rosé
This rosé from Languedoc-based producer Olivier Cohen is actually a blend of red and white grapes, making for a very dark rose – bordering on red – with hints of spice. It comes highly recommended by LOTI’s Co-founder and Editor at Large, Jules Pearson.