French producers switching to rosé production threatens red supplies
An increasing number of French wine producers have made the switch from red to rosé production in recent years in an attempt to cash in on the global thirst for all things pink.
However, according to an article in Bulk Wine Club, the industry is now beginning to question whether or not this will result in a shortage of good quality red wine this year from France, and also whether the the rosé trend is coming to an end.
“After a double-digit increase in rosé production, you have to wonder whether there is a market for so much wine”, said Stéphane Zanella, managing director of co-operative group Vignerons Catalans in Perpignan. “Good weather in the spring and summer will be essential, otherwise, selling them all will be a challenge. Prices will probably stay firm until the spring and depending on the weather will stay so, or not”.
The Roussillon-based company, unlike many others in the region, has taken a cautious approach to rosé, partly motivated by the wine’s short shelf-life. Other industry watchers point to the risk of soaring prices bursting the bubble.
“A lot of producers have switched to rosé this year”, confirmed Bernard Augé of Coop de France LR. “The prices in Provence have gone crazy!” This view is shared by Jean-Philippe Alquier, winemaker at Languedoc co-operative group Foncalieu who said:. “I expected there to be a sharp drop in rosé prices this year, but that didn’t happen."