Sales of rosé wine have doubled this summer, driven by the thirst for the frozen cocktail frosé and the social media brosé movement sparked by men boasting they are not afraid to “drink pink”.
The Indian summer is likely to prolong consumers’ taste for the pink tipple, supermarkets predict, where English wine has been a particular winner as part of a wider increase in sales of wines produced by UK vineyards.
Chilled rosé has become a popular summer drink over the past decade, but wine experts said this year’s unexpected trend for frozen rosé, or frosé – popular in bars and clubs, has sent sales soaring. The drink is made by freezing rosé wine with lemon juice and sugar – typically prepared in a large container and frozen for about seven hours before being blended into a sweet slush.
Sales of rosé wine at Waitrose rose by 104% this summer compared with the same time last year, the retailer said, as adults embrace the grownup version of the Slush Puppie.
“Frosé really has taken the nation by storm, fusing together two summer favourites – rosé and cooling slushes,” said a Waitrose spokesperson. “Preparation is minimal and it can be stored or used in batches, making it perfect for parties.”
Meanwhile, Marks & Spencer reported what it hailed as a “spectacular” 100% increase in sales of its English rosé. Consumers sent sales of Chapel Down Sparkling Rosé soaring by 200% over the same period last year, and its English Pinot Noir Rosé, produced in the North Downs in Surrey, was another customer favourite with a sales lift of 103%.
M&S said the rise of frosé and the brosé movement had crowned the wine as the drink of the summer, with English rosé emerging as its shoppers’ new favourite.
“Rosé is made for summer days and celebrations in the sunshine and people are enjoying exploring the varying styles the wine has to offer,” said M&S winemaker Sue Daniels.
“English wine is going from strength to strength and as we prepare for an Indian summer, sales of English rosé in particular are flourishing.”
In recent research by the Co-op, rosé was named as the most popular wine, beating prosecco. The supermarket is the UK’s largest retailer of Fairtrade wine and has also reported strong sales of the new Fairtrade rosé addition to the South African Arniston Bay wines.
Ben Cahill, a Co-op wine buyer, said: “Sales of classic French rosés are hitting an all-time high thanks to the growing popularity of these lighter-coloured, dryer styles. Consumers are now more prepared to trade up to the more premium Provence wines. This has also been driven, in part, by consumers becoming more knowledgeable about wines as well as high-end brands introducing lighter-coloured rosés in top restaurants, costing up to £70 a bottle.”
