The Tasting Panel magazine

June 2012

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WE SAY ROSADO They say Rosé REGION OF THE snooth's YEAR 2011 Taste Rosado to see How Rioja does Rosé. Pure Genius. 12 Rioja3x4shelftalker_Rosado.indd 1 "We say rosado" shelftalk- ers introduce Americans to Rioja as a pink wine. merican consumers and buyers need no introduc- tion to the classic red wines of Spain's Rioja DOC (Denominación de Origen Calificada), and the region's association with the native Tempranillo grape has become as familiar as Pinot Noir is to Burgundy and Cabernet Sauvignon is to Bordeaux. But the most surprising development over the past four years has been the surging presence of Rioja rosado—They say rosé, we say rosado goes the latest catchphrase used by the region's trade arm, VibrantRioja—in the American market. Every day more and more Americans are being introduced to Rioja as a pink wine, not a red! According to Ana Fabiano, Rioja's U.S. Trade Director and author of the book The Wine Region of Rioja, "since 2008 ship- ments of pink Rioja have grown 40%. The wine really created its own niche, because up until now the growth has been without any marketing push—the We say rosado campaign is something new we are just introducing now, starting in just five key states." A 3/6/12 12:41 PM For the longest time, even producers in Rioja did not think of rosado as an important category. Ninety percent of Rioja's production is in red wine; the rest are whites, with less than 5% pink. This is changing as we speak because con- sumers, according to Fabiano, "have woken up to the fact that we really have the juice to make high quality rosé wine." What has struck the chord with consumers is the simple discovery that Rioja's rosados are delicious—dry and zesty in accordance with contemporary tastes, yet bursting with fruit qualities of cherry and strawberry. With average retail prices june 2012 / the tasting panel / 111 Rafael Vivanco, propri- etor and winemaker of Dinastía Vivanco. "Our rosado ends up being about 70% Tempranillo, which really gives the wine its density, acidity and balance." PHOTO COURTESY OF DINASTÍA VIVANCO PHOTO COURTESY OF MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES SCORE

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