FIFTY SHADES OF ROSÉ

From the south of France to Napa Valley, California; from Cape Town, South Africa to Shanghai, on China's central coast, Rosé has earned its place at the pinnacle of the world of wine. In 7 years, sales revenue has increased by 50%, while global  wine consumption actually fell. Prices have also been rising steadily. At the top of the line, long denigrated as a second-rate wine, mediocre at best, unhealthy at worst, quality has risen to meet global demand. So the current market boom is all the more surprising. What secret recipe lies behind these pink bottles' success? What has changed: consumers' tastes… or the wines'? Our investigation will show that the current fad for rosé is directly tied to hard-hitting marketing moves. By reinventing their drink, they overturned the sector's economy, "modernized" wine's image, and startled established experts everywhere.