Drink Pink! France is developing a preference for rosé wine as a year-round favorite while red wine sales are declining
- Rose has overtaken red wine as the drink of choice for younger French drinkers
The French once dismissed it as a “swimming pool drink” – just to enjoy in the summer.
But it seems they have developed a taste for rosé wine while red wine sales are declining.
According to winemakers, customers are increasingly opting for lighter wines with lower alcohol content, which are particularly popular with young people.
The lighter wine is now proving to be a year-round favorite across the country – just as red wine falls out of favor.
Demand for Bordeaux bottles is still high worldwide, with red wine accounting for 40 percent of annual wine production, but domestic demand has halved since the 1990s.
UK-based drinks expert Helen McGinn selects a selection of the best rosé wines to pair with a variety of dishes (file image)
READ MORE: FORGET RED! COME IN PINK WITH WINTER ROSE
Independent winemaker Thomas Montagne, who makes red, white and rosé wines at his Luberon winery in the south of France, said: “In the 1990s we had the “French paradox” where studies showed red wine was good for health . Now people, especially young people, are turning to rosé wines, which are easier to drink, lower in tannins and more festive.”
A spokesman for regional winemakers said vineyards in Burgundy now produce half as much red wine compared to two decades ago, while white wine production has increased.
They said, “I was surprised to discover it.” [rose] was drunk in winter. Red wine’s decline in popularity is due to dwindling customers – people are drinking less overall – and opportunities to do so are disappearing.
“The younger generations eat less meat and avoid red wines in favor of white or rosé wines.”
Even former President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni jumped on the trend and launched their own rose called Roseblood.
Each year, France produces an incredible 830 million gallons of wine, of which 29 percent is white and 19 percent is rose.