Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/833814
46 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } JUNE/JULY 2017 by Kate Webber / photos by Josh Reynolds WARM WEATHER RINGS IN "rosé season," that glorious time when retail shops and restaurants roll out their much-anticipated rosés, listing wines by the glass and extensive bottle offerings, holding tastings and displaying labels from around the world. As rosé continues to skyrocket in popularity, more and more people have reconsidered this idea of limiting rosé to just one time of year and have found a more permanent place for it on their lists and shelves. Thus began the rosé trend, which became a movement and has now grown to a full-blown stampede. There has been a massive increase in rosé consumption in the U.S. over the past 12 years. Provence rosé, however, has really taken the lead, with a 47 percent increase in volume and a 43 percent increase in value in 2016 (French customs). Provence rosé has become a brand in and of itself, with international winemakers chasing its pale color, delicate fruits, minerality and herbal notes. Today, the U.S. market has access to more—and more diverse—Provence rosé wines than ever before. In March, Vins de Provence presented 40 rosés from Côtes de Provence, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, and Coteaux Varois en Provence to Boston restaurateurs and retailers at Cambridge's New American restaurant Puritan & Company. What might before have been simply a tasting of "40 rosés" was now a discussion of sub-regional styles, climates, soil types and winemaking practices. The Côtes de Provence is large and diverse enough to have identified four sub-regions, all of which are known for bright acidity, fruitiness and elegance. Inland in Sainte-Victoire we see the traditional, clean rosés, intelligent and elegant. Fleur de L'Amaurigue en Haut-Pays offers delicate, rounded flavors from its blend { trends } Exploring the Future of Rosé in Boston Whole Foods Market Specialty Wine Buyer Christie Basina and others carefully consider the lineup. At Puritan & Company in Cambridge, MA, the gruyère and cheddar grilled cheese with oven-dried tomato harissa pairs with L'Esprit de Provence 2016 Rosé from Notre Dame des Anges of Côtes de Provence.