Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/977771
may 2018 / the tasting panel / 89 The French organization CIVP (Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de Provence) reports that the United States is second only to France itself in its thirst for pink wines. While the French account for around 35 percent of worldwide consumption of rosé, U.S. rosé drinkers quaff a healthy 14 percent of global production—and growing. That's a lot of pink. A more immediate way of taking account of the rising rosé tide is to simply visit your nearest restaurant or wine bar, where you're almost guaranteed to see Millennials—male and female—ordering glasses of their favorite pink wines. It's guaranteed that a lot of those labels will be from France, the world's largest producer by far of rosé, and the lion's share of that will be from Côtes de Provence. And therein lies the dilemma. Côtes de Provence is the world's best-known appellation for rosé wine, with a staggering 89 percent of its vines dedicated to the cat- egory. Demand is high and getting higher—so high, in fact, that France must import entry-level rosé to meet its own domestic needs. High-quality Côtes de Provence rosé, meanwhile, winds up easing the warm-weather thirst of American wine drinkers. The CIVP reports that American drinkers purchase 43 percent of the total quantity of Provence rosé exported. Where can buyers turn when supplies run low? Fortunately, many alternative pink wines—both still and sparkling— are made in other regions of France as well. Côtes du Rhône, Costières de Nîmes, Languedoc, the Loire (Saumur, Anjou, and Chinon), Alsace, Jura, Bourgogne, and even Bordeaux all have their own ways of "drinking pink." And luckily for American buyers, one global French wine powerhouse produces rosé in all of these regions: Les Grands Chais de France. Force Majeure of French Wine While not a household name, Les Grands Chais de France (GCF) is one of the world's largest wine companies and is a force to be reck- oned with on the global stage. Based in a geographically-strategic location in Petersbach, Alsace, Grands Chais produces 44 million cases of wine yearly that are exported to 173 countries on five conti- nents: accounting for nearly 19 percent of total French wine exports and generating more than a billion euros in revenue each year. Its sheer size means that GCF has the resources to master the entire winemaking and distribution process from start to finish, from grape growing (with 3,000 hectares, or 7,400 acres, under vine) to vinification, barrel-aging, bottling, and supply-chain manage- ment. Its multiple winemaking facilities across France—including vast state-of-the-art production sites in Alsace and Bordeaux—demonstrate a com- mitment to the latest viticultural technology. From a worm's eye view, GCF has French terroir covered: It owns estates in ten French wine-produc- ing regions, including Bordeaux, where the company has 16 properties. (Grands Chais also has estates in Spain, Germany, and Hungary.) This diversity of access results in wines of great typicity and character from each region. Despite its size, GCF is highly adaptable to the latest trends in the wine world—including the growing demand for rosé—while remaining com- mitted to environmental responsibility and hands-on customer service. Grands Chais de France Winemaker Vincent Euzet: "In the consumer's mind, Mediterranée is associated with the south of France: sea, sun, and sand, same as Côtes de Provence. These alternative IGP and AOP wines have a great potential for growth in the next few years due to the demand." nents: accounting for nearly 19 percent of total French wine exports and generating more than a billion euros master the entire winemaking and distribution process ing regions, including Bordeaux, where the company access results in wines of great typicity and character