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Provence has led the global rosé revolution with the Mediterranean lifestyle of the French Riviera doing a wonderful marketing job for the easy-drinking style that has won over multinationals, celebrities and ordinary consumers alike.
Business is booming. Over the last 15 years, according to trade association Vins de Provence, exports of Provence rosé have grown nearly 500%, with the region now accounting for over 40% of total rosé production.
In a declining domestic market, the pale pink rosé wines of Provence continue to go from strength to strength. A recent study by NielsenIQ found that between 2019 and 2022, Provence rosé recruited the most French consumers of any wine style, tempting 734,000 additional purchasers. This 16.5% jump over three years contrasts sharply with French red wine, which lost 14.8m domestic buyers over the same period.
An influx of high-profile celebrities has invested in Provençal winemaking. The trend started in 2008 when former Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie bought Château Miraval, a move that opened the floodgates for the likes of Australian pop star Kylie Minogue, footballer David Beckham, ‘Sex and the City’ actor Sarah Jessica Parker and rapper Post Malone to snap up Provence wineries or become brand ambassadors.
Provençal wine’s new association with the super-rich meant its vineyards became attractive prospects for the multinational brand owners – and an increasingly expensive place for local producers to compete. Over the last four years, for example, Moët Hennessy has acquired Château Galoupet, one of 18 Cru Classé estates in Provence; a controlling stake in Château d’Esclans, the producer of the popular Whispering Angel label; and most recently, a majority stake in Château Minuty, France’s best-selling rosé brand.
However, as in many other wine regions worldwide, climate change poses a significant threat to Provence’s success story. Over the last five years, severe heatwaves and droughts have caused substantial problems for winemakers striving to maintain quality and Provence rosé’s valued qualities of freshness, acidity and balance. Sustainability has quickly become a major focus for the region with 55% of vineyards boasting environmental credentials in 2022, a 26% uplift on the previous year. Indeed, 22% of volumes are now certified organic.
Other initiatives being employed by Vins de Provence at its Centre du Rosé research centre in Vidauban include trialling new varietals that are resistant to mildew to reduce the need for chemical intervention, can withstand drought and bud late to reduce the risk of damaging frosts in spring. Currently, 127 candidate varieties are under observation; the list will eventually be narrowed down to two or three star performers in the second phase of the project.
Last year, unprecedented drought conditions and soaring temperatures led to early harvests, although grape health remained strong and the overall quality was excellent. Winemakers across regions such as Champagne, the Douro, Rioja and Piedmont hailed the tenacity of their vines in such challenging conditions, particularly older vines with established root systems.
While some wineries experienced positive outcomes from 2022’s vintage, others faced significant setbacks due to volatile weather events, including hail and torrential rain, which caused more damage than the drought itself. These extremes and erratic conditions have become more evident in recent years, signalling the effects of climate change on viticulture. Taste profiles may have largely been unaffected, but harvest volumes have suffered – and that’s a long-term challenge.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the problem, but a range of possible strategies that includes experimenting with new and hybrid grape varieties that offer resilience while maintaining quality and flavour; researching long-forgotten resistant ancestral varietals; selecting higher-altitude, cooler vineyard locations; and introducing intelligent irrigation systems powered by renewable energy.
Ultimately, the story of wine and climate change is one of resilience, adaptation and an unwavering commitment to the preservation of quality. The final chapter of winemakers’ battle against the effects of man-made climate change has yet to be written, but their ingenuity and passion to preserve standards in such difficult conditions are impressive.
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