Market Watch, Summer 2020

64 MARKET WATCH MARKETWATCHMAG COM SUMMER 2020 I n Frances sunny St Tropez François Mattons family has crafted rosé under the Château Minuty moniker since the 1960s a markedly different era for Provençal rosé than the present day When my father first started making Minuty his goal was to be the No 1 rosé in the Côte dAzur because at the time that was the only place in the world where rosé from Provence would sell says Matton the second generation owner and winemaker at Minuty The region wasnt famous and it certainly wasnt appreciated by people living outside of the French Riviera Now that mindset has completely shifted and Provence rosé is the pinnacle of a pink hued category thats taking an increasing share of the wine industry In the U S growth in consumption of rosé outpaced that of reds and whites last year albeit from a smaller base with depletions up 13 to 181 million cases according to Impact Databank While rosés ongoing popularity can be credited primarily to Provence brands from elsewhere are making inroads some are doing so by emulating their Provençal counterparts while others are capitalizing on varietals and styles different from those traditionally championed by the French And across the world rosé producers are eyeing the categorys prestige segment where theres still plenty of room for growth Though future momentum for rosé remains uncertain with 25 tariffs on French Spanish and German wines still in place and the coronavirus wreaking havoc on daily life in every corner of the globe producers are cautiously optimistic that the rosé category and the wine industry at large will weather the storm Grenache Rules After years of steady upward momentum Provences U S export growth streak finally came to a halt in 2019 with shipments falling from their all time high of 214 million cases in 2018 to 212 million cases This dip was part of a steep drop off in total French wine exports to the U S which have fallen by 33 since tariffs were implemented in mid October 2019 according to the French Federation of Wine Spirits Exporters Even so the regions top producers all remain on the upswing Longtime category leader Whispering Angel which won MARKET WATCHs Wine Brand of the Year award in 2019 leapt 184 last year to 490000 cases continuing a growth streak that has lasted upwards of six years At the heart of these gains is a rosé style thats built upon one invariable varietal Grenache Right now every country in the world wants to make rosé as we do in Provence and most try to do so by using Grenache says Minutys Matton But thats why I like the wine business if I plant Chardonnay in my vineyards I cant make white Burgundy just as I couldnt plant Cabernet and make Bordeaux Here in the south of France we have the perfect soil weather and sea influence for Grenache Currently Minuty owns nearly 200 acres of vineyards the majority of which are planted to Grenache Last year the winery produced around 550000 cases of rosé of that total 56000 cases came to the U S an increase of 129 from the year prior The lions share of the winerys volume is in the core M by Minuty rosé 21 a 750 ml which is a blend of Grenache Cinsault and Syrah Keeps Rolling Despite tariffs and Covid 19 rosé continues to gain respect and is now expanding into new regions new styles and luxury labels BY JULIA HIGGINS Rosé PHOTO BY OPPOSITE ISTOCKPHOTO