The countdown is on for NZ Rosé Day, taking place on Saturday, February 4.
An annual celebration of NZ Wine’s premium pinks, NZ Rosé Day was established eight years ago by Sip NZ and designed to support local producers and raise awareness of premium New Zealand Rosé, which now offers a wide variety of styles, sweetness levels and price points.
Rosé is the fastest growing wine variety in the country and the variety is no longer considered only suited to summer-only sipping, but is now enjoying year-round popularity.
Expanding Rosé sections on supermarket shelves are commonplace – sales have doubled in recent years – and while there’s an instant appeal in the pretty selection of colours and styles, there’s much more to the story than rainbow hues and appealing labels.
Rosé is now the fourth largest New Zealand wine export, exporting 7.9 million litres globally in 2021 – double that of 2018 when New Zealand exported 3.6 million litres of Rosé, and 10 times that of 2010 at just 0.56 million litres.
The wine regions of Northland, Auckland (particularly Matakana and West Auckland), Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, Nelson, Marlborough, North Canterbury and Waitaki all produce notable Rosé in differing styles and hues, with varieties ranging from fresh and fruity to savoury and textural.
Pinot Noir grapes are the mainstay of New Zealand’s Rosé production, especially in cooler, southern wine regions such as Marlborough and Central Otago.
In contrast, Gisborne-Tairawhiti Rosé reflects the region’s fertile soils and long hot summers with refreshingly distinct, fruit-driven wines mostly from a Merlot and Syrah base.
Waiheke Rosé is mostly made from Merlot and Syrah grapes and yet again has a distinct tone that differs from other regions. This warm, dry maritime climate promotes depth, intensity and purity that sets it apart – in many respects – not just in terms of the fruit it produces.
For more information on NZ Rosé Day, click here.
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