Are You Drinking Your Rosé Correctly?

Despite the current rainy streak, we still plan to spend the summer sipping rosé. But who knew that half of us are drinking it wrong? According to M&S and its first-ever dedicated wine report, sparkling rosé is the nation’s most popular type of pink drink, but it’s been revealed that many Brits are drinking their wine up to 7°C too cold. Imparting her expert knowledge, M&S winemaker Belinda Kleinig has shared her tips on all things rosé, from the optimum serving temperature to delicious pairings in time for the summer heatwave.

Here’s The Optimum Way To Drink Rosé

Temperature

The optimum temperature for enjoying rosé is between 7–13°C. Many consumers are drinking their wine up to 7°C too cold, though only one in five would use ice cubes to keep their rosé cool. Serving wine too cold can mute its fruity flavours and hide some of the aromas, so it’s best to take it out of the fridge about 15 to 30 minutes before drinking so it isn’t overchilled. That said, if it’s a particularly warm day there is nothing wrong with adding a few ice cubes to your glass of rosé. Beyond rosé, only one in six people would ever consider putting red wine in the fridge. M&S experts also advise that some reds benefit from being lightly chilled, to bring out their fruitier flavour, and to make a more refreshing wine. For instance, lighter, fruity styles like Pinot Noir, Grenache/Garnacha, Cinsault and the new Found Marzemino from northeast Italy.

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Choose quality over colour

Warmer climates with more sunlight tend to make grapes ripen faster so they end with a higher sugar content, which can result in sweeter rosé wines – however, the colour of the wine is often less about the terroir and more to do with what happens in the winery after the grapes have been harvested, for instance, leaving the red grape skins in contact with the grape juice for longer so more colour bleeds out.

Choosing darker rosé doesn’t mean lower quality, 85 percent of respondents in our research found they would not drink darker rosé wines, as twice as many respondents stated their preference for pale Provence-style rosé over darker rosé. Many mistakenly believe paler rosé equates to better quality, though M&S has several popular medium-pink and darker rosé options, including its popular Abertura Vinho Verde Rosé, Paco Real Rioja Rosado and Wave Break White Zinfandel.

Choose your perfect food pairings for your rosé

Sparkling rosé is great on its own as an aperitif but is works well with afternoon tea and strawberries and cream, whilst rosé cava and champagne are delicious with savoury canapés and tapas. Light rosé, meanwhile, pairs with similar foods to lighter dry white wines (such as pinot grigio), such as with summery salads, grilled fish and seafood, light pasta dishes and goat’s cheese. Light Italian rosés in particular pair perfectly with tomatoes and mozzarella. Medium-pink rosé, which is slightly sweeter than dry Provence-style rosés, are great to pair with lightly spiced dishes such as Middle Eastern chicken, though they would likely also go well with a Thai green curry or mildly spiced Indian fish curry. Lastly, darker, slightly sweeter rosé has a higher level of sweetness in these rosés (such as Californian white zinfandel), which makes them an even better match for spicy food. Try pairing with hot Thai and Vietnamese dishes that rely on fresh, clean chilli heat rather than earthy dried spices.

Don’t judge alternative wine formats

When it comes to al fresco drinks, only a third of shoppers think that wine in a can, a pouch or a box can be the same quality as wine from a proper bottle. Only 28 percent have tried wine from a pouch, but the experts say pouches last longer once opened than wine in a bottle! These alternative packaging options are not only convenient and portable, but are also environmentally friendly, without compromising the quality of the wine. 

Try something new to impress your guests

For those looking for something a little different to serve their guests this summer, consumers are turning to Pét Nat fizz and orange wines, with searches for the latter up 99 percent on Ocado in the past year as shoppers embrace the trend. However, only 11 percent are familiar with what Pét Nat is (an unfiltered sparkling wine made using an ancient method where the yeast stays in the bottle), with many mistaking it for a piece of winemaking equipment used to sort grapes. Both wines are a great choice for anyone looking to try something different and exciting, for instance, M&S’s new Found Verdil from Valencia in Spain pairs well with tapas like patatas bravas and garlicky prawns.

To learn more about rosé read the report here.