10 Essential Bottles of Rosé [Timeline]
Although rosé’s popularity peaks in the summertime, the pink wine’s roots prove it is more than a trendy seasonal beverage. The style dates back centuries, when the Greeks brought vines to Marseilles and rosé was created. It caught the attention of the Romans, who exported it through their trade routes. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the expansion of rail travel within France introduced vacationers to the Provençal lifestyle — and the region’s signature rosé.
Over the past couple of decades, rosé has become less about wine and more of a cultural touchpoint. It signifies a certain state of mind — a type of “joie de vivre,” to borrow from the French.
But reducing rosé to a single style, season, or vibe does a disservice to the range of rosé wines produced all over the world. A variety of styles means rosé maintains a spot on wine lists year-round. Here, we take a look at the key bottles that mark rosé’s ascent into our drinking consciousness over the past century.
1933: Domaines Ott Exports to the U.S.
Bottle: Domaines Ott Château de Selle Côtes de Provence Rosé
Provence’s Domaines Ott was founded in 1896 and established itself as one of the region’s preeminent producers. In 1932, René Ott, son of founder Marcel, created Ott’s iconic amphora-shaped bottle, laying the groundwork for the high-design bottles we see today from many rosé brands. Ott is also responsible for raising awareness of Provence rosé in the U.S. Right after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, it started exporting stateside, one of the first to do so.
1942: Mateus Makes Its Mark
Bottle: Mateus ‘The Original’ Rosé
In 1942, Fernando van Zeller Guedes, founder of Portugal’s Sogrape company, created Mateus, a sweet rosé sold in a bottle inspired by flasks used by soldiers in WWI. Brand ambassadors represented the wine in key global markets, a strategic marketing push that made Mateus an international bestseller. Peruse the winery’s website, and you’ll see photos of Jimi Hendrix, Kiss, and Steve Jobs with the distinct bottle. There’s a reason rosé carries a reputation for sweetness in the U.S.: It wasn’t until 2020 that Mateus finally introduced a dry rosé to the market.
1943: A Bandol Legend Is Born
Bottle: Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé
Lucie Tempier and Lucien Peyraud settled at Domaine Tempier in the late 1930s. The estate, a working farm in the Tempier family, was gifted to them for their nuptials by Tempier’s father. After tasting a pre-phylloxera bottle from Bandol, Peyraud grew curious about Mourvèdre’s potential; at the time, vines were being grubbed up in favor of high-yielding grapes. His advocacy changed the course of Bandol wine. Not only was he instrumental in creating the Bandol AOC in 1941, but he also restored Mourvèdre’s central role in the region’s winemaking. Domaine Tempier bottled its first wine in 1943, which was of course a Mourvèdre-based rosé. Known for its complexity and terroir-driven qualities, Tempier’s expression is one of the most sought-after rosé wines today.
1972: Sutter Home’s Sweet Accident
Bottle: Sutter Home White Zinfandel
For most winemakers, a stuck fermentation ruins an entire harvest’s worth of work, but for Bob Trinchero, winemaker at Sutter Home, it proved fortuitous. While trying to produce red Zinfandel, fermentation halted, leaving residual sugar in the wine. But the deep magenta liquid that resulted was actually… pretty good. Hence, the birth of White Zindfandel. Trinchero tinkered with the style, and throughout the 1980s, White Zin was one of America’s most popular wines. Its ubiquity also saved many old Zinfandel vines throughout California.
1992: Rosé Comes to the Hamptons
Bottle: Wölffer Estate Summer in a Bottle Rosé
When Roman Roth, winemaker and partner at Wölffer Estate, first came to the Hamptons in 1992, he did what most Hamptonites do: attended an equestrian event. Struck by the atmosphere, he knew a dry rosé would be the perfect wine for the Hamptons lifestyle. From the beginning, Wölffer committed to producing high-quality rosé wine in the fledgling Long Island wine industry.
Over the years, Wölffer created various versions of rosé, including a dry cider. 2013 proved to be a turning point for the estate. Building upon the success of the original rosé, it expanded the cuvée to include eight different varieties, but more importantly, revamped the packaging and the name. “Summer in a Bottle,” with an explosion of blooms on the label, perfectly encapsulated the moment that inspired Roth all those years ago. The wine’s popularity solidified during “The Great Rosé Shortage” of 2014, when Hamptons retailers couldn’t keep up with demand for popular brands like Wölffer and Whispering Angel.
2007: Whispering Angel Makes a Quiet Entrance — but Not For Long
Bottle: Château d’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé
In 2007, Whispering Angel, owned by Château d’Esclans, barely made a blip when it was launched in the U.S. But due to strategic marketing to Millennials, it became one of the fastest-growing rosé wine brands, soon appearing at every pool party and summer soirée nationwide. In 2016 it was even named the most popular rosé in the world. The brand’s massive success set the tone for other Provence rosés that followed in its wake.
2012: Celebs Get Into the Rosé Game
Bottle: Château Miraval Provence Rosé
Although no longer together, celebrity couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt formed a celebrity supernova. The pair also notably loved wine. In 2008, they purchased Château Miraval in Provence and launched the posh rosé brand in 2012. It sold out in mere hours and ushered in a wave of celebrity-owned or celebrity-backed rosés, such as Kylie Minogue Wines, Jon Bon Jovi’s Hampton Water, and LVE from John Legend, just to name a few.
2013: The Instagram Brand Boom
Bottle: Yes Way Rosé
In 2013, Erica Blumenthal and Nikki Huganir, two NYC-based friends, started @yeswayrosé, an Instagram account touting their love of the Provencal lifestyle and its wine. The account exploded, and #yeswayrose became a rally cry for rosé lovers. In 2018, the duo bottled their own rosé brand called, yep, Yes Way Rosé.
Simultaneously, comedian and Instagram personality Josh Ostrovsky (“The Fat Jew”) capitalized on his satirical series “White Girl Problems” with White Girl Rosé in 2015. Created as a tongue-in-cheek response to “The Great Rosé Shortage” mentioned above, it opened the floodgates to new self-identifying rosé lovers — “Brosé,” anyone?
2020: Prosecco Rosé Gets DOC Designation
Bottle: Ruffino Prosecco DOC Rosé
Although producers made pink Prosecco prior to 2020, the wine was never able to carry DOC status. That all changed in 2020 with the creation of Prosecco DOC Rosé. With it came new regulations and quality- control measures. Already a sparkling wine juggernaut, Prosecco — and brunch — would never be the same.
2021: Dark Rosés Make a Comeback
Bottle: López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rosado
With an influx of pale rosés on the market, a segment of wine lovers and sommeliers sought something with a bit more substance and the once-maligned category of deep pink rosés came back into the picture. López de Heredia, already a cult favorite for its long-aging wines, fit the bill with its Gran Reserva Rosado, a full-bodied, deeply pigmented rosé. Created in 1914, the style was the perfect antidote to the fresh and fruity rosés saturating the market. It quickly rose to cult status. Other traditionally darker rosés, like Valentini and Emidio Pepe’s coveted Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo wines to complex, aged expressions of Tavel, found a new fan base. Though dry, darker-hued rosés sometimes still struggle to shake off a “sweet” reputation, many wine aficionados appreciate their nuance and drinkability.
*Image retrieved from Chelsea Pridham via unsplash.com
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