Rant: Don't Stop Drinking Rosé

As the end of summer nears, and the cooler weather of the fall approaches, general wine drinking habits tend to change as well. For example, people start drinking more red wines, savoring the heartier wines as temperatures drop. Plenty of people will still drink white wines, from Chardonnay to Riesling, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that. This also makes sense when you consider wine pairings with food, as red wine generally doesn't pair as well as white wine with some dishes.

However, one type of wine often gets mistakenly labeled as a "summer wine" and far too many people won't drink it in the fall and winter, despite the fact it can and should be consumed year-round.   The situation has slowly improved during the last several years but change is still needed. The myth that Rosé wine is just for the summer needs to be shattered.

The media is partially responsible for perpetuating this myth, especially with the pre-summer deluge of articles declaring that it will soon be "Rosé season." These articles lead consumers to believe that Rosé is for summer only. Distributors play their part in this myth, promoting Rosé for the summer, and often stopping their promotion once Labor Day arrives. Too many wine shops stop selling Rosé wine after Labor Day, except to sell off their summer stock, so consumers are hard pressed to find Rosé even if they wanted it.

It's interesting that many of these individuals responsible for promoting this Rosé myth actually know better. They understand the truth, that there is absolutely no reason you should stop drinking Rosé just because fall arrives. Rosé is appropriate year-round, especially because it pairs so well with a diverse selection of foods. For example, it works very well with a Thanksgiving dinner. If you can drink white wine in the fall and winter, there is absolutely no reason you cannot drink Rosé too. I drink Rosé all year round and strongly encourage everyone else to do so as well.  

There are some wine stores which stock Rosé throughout the year and if your local shop doesn't, then you should recommend that they stock some. And if they don't bring in some Rosé, then seek elsewhere for this wine. Share some Rosé this fall and winter with your friends, showing them the potential of this delicious wine. Don't ask if they want Rosé but just pour them a glass. Once they taste the wine, they'll probably come to the realization of what they have been missing.

We also need more wine writers to pen Rosé articles during the fall and winter, to persuade consumers that this pink wine is appropriate during every season, and not just during the summer. Raising consumer awareness is vital to spreading a passion for Rosé year round.

Drink more Rosé, now and throughout the fall, winter and spring.