By Amanda Selby
Why rosé wine has enjoyed meteoric success due to its position of being marketed and sold like a champagne and spirits brand and not as a particular style of wine.
This is it. Rosé wine is most certainly having its moment in the proverbial sun. As of 2022, 1 in every 10 bottles of wine consumed around the world is pink wine*. In France, this is even higher, with 1 in every 3 bottles of wine consumed being rosé. So, what is it about this wine category that has made it so successful and so prolific? I’ll tell you: status and empowerment. With consumers excited to try this style of wine, rosé is leading the market. Yes, it is a fantastic style of wine with a wealth of diversity in its production methods, grapes permitted and the plethora of countries that produce it. But what is it that consumers really care about? How it makes them feel. And arguably no other wine category – except champagne – can truly achieve this feeling of empowerment. Equally, the method of promoting spirits brands is, in the same vein, by brand and emotion, not liquid. In this essay, I shall argue that it is this ‘champagne or spirits’ brand-led marketing strategy that has captivated the hearts of so many and this is why rosé wine should be marketed as such, rather than by the actual juice.
Firstly, what do I mean by ‘champagne or spirits-led’ marketing. This is quite simple really. Champagne and spirits are marketed to make people feel good about their decision to purchase and drink it. Does anyone care if Jack Daniel’s is a Bourbon or Tennessee Whiskey? No. But do they love to bar-call ‘Jack & Coke’ or enjoy it as their regular tipple? Yes. Similar to Bacardi. I wonder how many people actually realise it is in fact rum? Do they really care? It’s all about the status and emotion enjoying these spirits evokes. Rappers, literally waxing lyrical on the merits of Hennessy or Cristal, sent sales of their chosen brands sky-rocketing. One mention of Dom Pérignon and the world is clambering for it. Why? Because they want to be seen to be ‘cool’. These consumers may not have a clue what’s actually in the bottle (nor care), but it’s all about the ‘look’ and ‘feeling’. The brandishing of the big brands of rosé wine has the same effect. Is it due to the grapes used? No. Is it because of the production methods? No. It is simply the feeling and status attached to that bottle in your hand. Like champagne & spirits, it is all about having the right brand to show off to your peers on social media.
It used to be that rosé was only for drinking and enjoying in the summer months. Its often light, fragrant nose and fresh palate makes it the perfect complement to lighter summer dishes of fresh fish and salads. Now the category is worth $5.8bn** and is set to almost double this by 2033. This is surely not due to the summer alone. On the contrary, the world’s top ski resorts are offering magnums and jeroboams of the most famous rosé brands to consumers wanting to unwind and have some fun after a day on the slopes in après-ski. No longer is rosé just to be sipped by the pool; it is welcome all year round, to all crowds. Gosh, even airports are offering rosé specific bars for you to enjoy! What, may I ask, has caused this sudden surge in demand for these wines? A certain Angel…
As I have said, the rosé wine category’s success is based not on the merits of the wines themselves in the consumers’ eyes, but the brands. All of the occasions discussed in the above paragraph all relate to one brand of rosé wine in particular; that of the ubiquitous Whispering Angel. Part of the pack of the exquisite Château d’Esclans portfolio, this angelic creature has captured the hearts of everyone around the world to the point where over 1,000,000 cases of it are sold annually. Why? Marketing to the right people at the right time.
D’Esclans were focused, driven and meticulous in their initial marketing strategy of Whispering Angel. Once dubbed ‘Hamptons Water’ on account of its popularity in the wealthy outpost on Long Island, coupled with strategic partnerships with SoHo House and other key and exceptionally fashionable hotels throughout the US, sent its sales soaring. Mateus, Lancers and the oh-so-consumer-friendly White Zinfandel sure helped to put rosé on the map initially, but once consumers grew tired of these, they started to look elsewhere. Cue Sacha Lichine. Launching the ethereal Whispering Angel in 2006, where it produced 130,000 bottles, by 2016 that number was well into the millions. With these numbers it is impossible to declare that Whispering Angel wasn’t already a success before LVMH courted the Château, but what happened after the purchase of 55% of the Château in 2019 is, as they say, history. In fact, LVMH actually bought Galoupet before the Angel but it was with the latter that they saw stars in their eyes. With their global reach, influential networks and deep-pockets, LVMH went on to build this brand of rosé and the rest could be said to be riding on its coat-tails. Rosé has been such a successful category for LVMH that they have since added the great Minuty, another Provence rosé, to their portfolio.
The success of Whispering Angel has unarguably paved the way for other rosé producers and brands to piggy-back on it, but there are already those who realised the value of rosé wine: celebrities. Brad & Angelina’s Miraval, Kylie’s wines and Sarah Jessica Parker’s pink wines have all enjoyed respectable success. Why? Because they are marketed with the big name attached to them, like spirits and champagne brands are. People are drawn to familiarity and brands that affirm their choices to spend that extra bit of cash on this – rather than that – rosé wine. Like the Moëts and the Veuves of the world, people see something they recognise and flock to it like a comfort blanket. Of course, quality comes into it and these celebrity rosés score consistently high in that regard but is that what drives people to pay for that?
Will Whispering Angel and the classic Provence rosé wines that are so hugely popular now remain the kings of this field or will people’s interest in rosé pique their interest to go out and discover new regions and producers? Unfortunately, I doubt it. Whilst I personally love to see new styles and producers coming through, Whispering Angel is now, like ‘Moët’, a bar or restaurant call. Do people even know this is from Provence, I wonder? Does the providence of a wine matter at all? Do you think they would listen to me if I told them to try another of the d’Esclans portfolio, Rock Angel – a wine that is only actually a couple of pounds more expensive than the favourite child – or would they stick to what they know and the brand they have come to love? I would hazard the latter. That is not to say that this is incorrect or a wasted opportunity, but perhaps people may find other styles they love if they were tempted? Or, like a Grower vs Grande Marque champagne, do people stick to what they know? Either way, it is the brand guiding the consumer’s choice. Why else would they love other rosé wines for less than £10 per bottle yet still fork out over £20 for the Angel? I think we all know the answer to this by now. It is the success of Whispering Angel that has allowed others, including ‘dupes’ (Screaming Devil, anyone?) to play an equally major part in this rosé world. Perhaps these latter brands are for when you are sitting in front of the tv on a Friday night, not at the après-ski. But when push comes to shove, you want to be seen with that pale pink Angel in your hands when trying to impress. Clear marketing – as for champagne and spirits – will do that for your brand and wine category as a whole.
There is no doubting the success of champagne and spirits brands. The really successful ones have – and continue to – dominate global alcohol sales. The reason? The branding, the emotion and the status symbol awarded to all those who buy them. By imitating this strategy, having consumers desiring to be seen with the right rosé bottle, enables the buyer to show that they know what they are talking about and are both knowledgeable and in-vogue. And who doesn’t want to be part of the cool crowd?