I love to quaff pink wine all year round, and I won’t apologise for it.
And since when has it made sense to pack away gluggable bottles of pink come November, just because it’s supposedly a ‘spring/summer’ drink?
It’s mind-blowing that so many people I speak to say they quit rosé at the start of winter, only to take it back up again in spring the following year. They might as well be talking about their swimming costumes. And have you ever noticed, you don’t catch the same people banishing bottles of Chablis or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc into hibernation over the winter?
Exactly, because they’re too busy chugging them.
The whole thing is baffling to me, given that rosé is the probably most versatile style of wine to match with the Christmas turkey and trimmings. It also goes startlingly well with smoked salmon, turkey curry and any other festive food items you care to throw at it. And if that wasn’t enough, try it with tapas, Thai curry and anything with a lick of chilli heat and you’ll be fully converted.
But, at last, it seems people are finally cottoning on. According to Ocado, searches for ‘rosé’ are up by 32% compared to this time last year, and sales of rosé are up by 25%.
And here’s some breaking news from M&S; the week before Christmas 2024, rosé sales were DOUBLE those of their biggest week over the summer. They sold 144,000 bottles of rosé in the week commencing the 6th July, whereas the week commencing 16th December they flogged a whopping 286,000 bottles. Granted, 68% of the festive figures was sparkling rosé, but still.
So, I was intrigued to learn that this year, M&S have re-released their rosé mulled wine after a 10-year hiatus. And with comments on social media like “I need this. Like. Right now” by @stephies.world and “It’s absolutely delicious – I’ve already bought 6 bottles” from @hsullivan2, it seems people are, literally, thirsting over it.
Bear in mind, this is a drink that wasn’t popular when it first came out, hence it was axed shortly after its original launch due to poor performance. But, 10 years ago we weren’t ready for a winter rosé of any description, let alone a mulled version. But, with the surge in demand for rosé during the colder months, coupled with the success of their pioneering White Mulled Wine, released last year (which I taste tested and scored in my mulled wine column), the timing feels right.
Gemma Wright, trading manager for Wine at M&S Food, said: ‘We’ve definitely seen rosé become a customer favourite all year round. Shoppers are choosing rosé in winter because it works really well with the kinds of food people serve at Christmas. It’s also a lighter, more refreshing option if you don’t fancy a red.’
Without further ado then, here is my review of M&S’s Rosé Mulled Wine, plus some other M&S pink-spiration for winter. And though I didn’t taste test them alongside a mince pie, or five, I will be doing so in December.
M&S Rosé Mulled Wine, Germany, £6
Bravo to the blending team behind this. They have somehow achieved that precarious balance between sweet and spicy, landing on a drink with enough rosé attributes to be recognisable (dry peach, apricot and Mirabelle plum), but with the judicious addition of vanilla, orange and spice. While many supermarket mulled wines are like sipping a liquid sweetshop, this is a deliciously grown-up drink. Believe the hype.
M&S Colle del Principe Pinot Grigio Blush, Italy, £7
Here’s a fun fact, Pinot Grigio is actually a red grape. Well, it’s got pink-coloured skin, anyway. Hence, it can make ethereal, pastel pink rosés like this one. Here we have a dry and fruity pink with ripe notes of cantaloupe melon, Red Lady apple and a burst of blood orange on the finish. It also has a light suggestion of oregano which, you guessed it, makes it a perfect partner to a pepperoni pizza.
M&S Rosé D’Anjou, France, £7.50
Dig out something a bit spicy to accompany this. Why? Because there’s a lovely off-dryness to this delicate rosé, which makes it a slam dunk with South East Asian dishes. The traditional process of making Rosé d’Anjou involves stopping the fermentation early, leaving some of the sugar that would have been converted into alcohol. The wine hails from the Loire Valley in France, and flavour-wise is popping with red apple and cherry flavours.
M&S Classics No.22 Cotes de Provence Rosé, France, £10
I love the M&S Classics selection, endlessly, as it delivers good quality, affordable wines from traditional regions. This rosé majors on the Cinsault grape, which is generally in the Provençale blend, but typically, not in as high proportions. The result is a juicy pink with pillowy strawberry notes over pithy blood orange and a soupcon of gorse bush, and I’m hardcore here for it.
M&S Bramble Hill Rosé Sparkling, England, £15
This affordable sparkling is made by Silverhand Estate, based near Gravesend in Kent. It’s made via the Charmat method of producing the bubbles, same as Prosecco, where the second fermentation takes place in a pressurised tank. A blend of Bacchus, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, the result is a fruity, frothy-and-fun fizz that tastes of strawberry sherbet and summer fruits.