This time last year, Oli Dodd looked at the swarm of celebrities moving into the rosé sector and concluded that Provence sells. Kylie Minogue’s ‘Kylie’ brand is Provençal, the bestselling rosé over £7 in the UK and the number one prosecco rosé. The Duchess of Sussex is the latest celebrity to join the rosé hype with her As Ever brand, but Meghan’s wine comes from Napa Valley. After launching in the first week of July the wine sold out in days while simultaneously receiving harsh criticism online, though largely from political haters rather than wine enthusiasts.

The other conclusion from Oli’s piece was the need for authenticity as well as A-lister endorsement. Minogue has garnered respect among the wine trade for attending industry events such as Prowein and taking a hands-on approach to harvests.

For Meghan’s As Ever it’s difficult to learn much about the wine beyond ‘Napa Valley 2023’, yet according to the launch release, As Ever is “made for summer’s best moments – from lunches that turn into dinners and sun-drenched weekends where the only thing that’s louder than the music is the laughter”.

It's easy to see why both trade and consumers warmed to Minogue’s Provence wines so much, but choosing Napa Valley may be a smart move by The Duchess. According to Marketresearch.com, the global rosé wine market reached $3.1bn in 2022 and is expected to reach $4.6bn by 2030. The same report also suggests that North America is the fastest-growing rosé market, while IWSR reported in 2020 that sparkling rosé volumes in the US had climbed by 118%.

Napa Valley only accounts for about 4% of California’s total wine volume, but As Ever isn’t a volume-based product. At $30 a bottle it sits in the super-premium sector and therefore aligns well with the region’s international reputation.

Another traditional rosé-producing nation, which is thus far celebrity-less, is Italy. France, Spain and the US are the biggest producers of rosé, in that order, but Italy still makes up 10% of the global volume.

“Provence is only one of many styles of French rosé, though certainly the most famous. Italy also produces very different styles of rosé, with its vast heritage of different terroirs and indigenous varieties,” says Riccardo Pasqua, chief executive of Pasqua Wines, known for being one of Italy’s most progressive producers.

Despite making wine for 100 years, one of Pasqua Wine’s most successful brands is 11 Minutes, a rosé launched in 2017.

“The rosés of Lake Garda, with the Bardolino Chiaretto and Valtenési DOCs, can be associated with the rosé style of Provence. In fact, our 11 Minutes and Y by 11 Minutes come precisely from the lakefront vineyards of the Veronese area.”

Pioneering breakthrough

According to Pasqua, when 11 Minutes launched it was a “totally pioneering wine on the Italian scene”. He says: “At first it was an incredible success only in international markets, but for the past couple of years it has been achieving great results in our domestic market as well.

“It is certainly one of the most successful Pasqua projects – for the concept, the naming and for how the market has embraced it.”

Right now the desired style for rosé is pale and dry. Driven by Provence it’s become synonymous with rosé as a category, but Pasqua believes there may be an opportunity to successfully expand into different profiles.

“For certain I can say that, at the moment, the market is still very much in love with this style of rosé. This is understandable because it combines alluring aromatics with great drinkability,” adds Pasqua.

“However, we can already see more of an evolution in the world of rosés than a new trend replacing the light Provençal style. Public interest is also moving towards rosés that are more intense in colour and aromaticity, from which greater ageing potential is expected. Indeed, we have seen an increased interest in recent years towards our DLZ, a rosé from Primitivo di Puglia.

“We still have much to learn from the Provençal model in order to create an education on rosé wines and to propose them to the consumer in an appealing and engaging way.”

There’s no doubting the strength of Provence when it comes to selling rosé, but celebrity endorsement of non-French varieties may even the playing field in the long term. If a big-hitter swoops in with an Italian rosé, for example, it will be interesting to see the effects on the wider category, while Meghan’s Napa Valley will no doubt expose consumers to the idea of a rosé not from Provençe.