Just 25 years ago, most Americans were dismissive of Rosé—if they thought about it at all. Connoisseurs associated it with novice blushes popular in the 1960s into the ’80s, such as white Zinfandel. For men sweltering at a summer backyard barbecue, light beer was the antidote of choice. Today, however, Monterey County vintners are often eager to showcase Rosé. Consumers are equally ready to give it a try. Demand for pink wine in the U.S. rocketed up some 7,000 percent between 2000 and 2015, according to the online distributor marketplace Provi. And this country now ranks behind only France and Germany in consumption of Rosé. So what happened? “You had a change in perception,” says winemaker Scott Cariccioli of Cariccioli Cellars, explaining that, emerging from the 1970s, a new generation of consumers were looking for wines with structure and nuance. A refreshing white made from red suited that quest. “Look at Provence,” adds Folktale Winery’s Nat Wong. “They make a living off Rosé.” He speaks of the style’s versatility—colors that range from ballet slipper pink to deep gemstone, flavors that are easy and refreshing to contemplative. Bill Parsons of the family winery Parsonage in Carmel Valley notes that consumers and winemakers are either on a hunt for the next new thing or resurrecting tradition. Still, he says, the meteoric growth of interest in Rosé—“It’s mind-boggling.” It was in the 2000s that quality Rosé began to shed the style’s cloying image. And with winemakers willing to experiment with the boundaries, the versatility of the wine began to show. A breeze through just some of the Rosé produced by Monterey County winemakers reveals blends, bubbles, pinks made from subtle Pinot 36 THE BEST OF MONTEREY BAY ® EAT + DRINK 2025-2026 ROSE COLORED GLASSES Monterey County winemakers showcase the variety and quality of once-scorned Rosé. By Dave Faries Folktale Winery and Vineyards DANIEL DREIFUSS
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==