Half of the nation is making ‘pour decisions’ by drinking their rosé wine at the wrong temperature, according to new research from M&S Food as it sells its one millionth bottle of pink wine since the start of the spring.
M&S has released its first #WineWorries ‘Mythbusting’ Report which looks to debunk the most common wine myths and misconceptions, including the fact that less than half of Brits think it’s acceptable to drink rosé in winter – whereas in reality M&S sees shoppers buying rosé all year round. Sparkling rosé was crowned as the country’s most popular type of pink drink, however a whopping 85 per cent indicated they would not drink darker rosé wines. In fact, twice as many respondents stated their preference for pale Provence-style rosé over darker rosé, with many mistakenly believing paler rosé equates to better quality. M&S has several popular medium-pink and darker rosé options, including its popular Abertura Vinho Verde Rosé, Paco Real Rioja Rosado and Wave Break White Zinfandel.
The Mythbusting report highlights that there is still much confusion when it comes to rosé, as one in ten still believe that all rosé wine is made by mixing white and red wine together (whereas the vast majority is made just from red grapes where the juice is left in contact with the grape skins for a short time to give it its pink hue). And it seems many believe you have to be a purist with rosé, with only 15 per cent feeling brave enough to use rosé to make wine cocktails, while only one in five think it’s acceptable to put ice cubes in a glass of rosé to cool it down – even on a hot day.
“It’s a common misconception that rosé needs to be served ice cold” says M&S winemaker Belinda Kleinig, “and in fact serving wine too cold can mute its fruity flavours and hide some of the aromas. The optimum temperature for enjoying rosé is between 7–13°C, meaning it’s best to take it out of the fridge about 15 minutes to half an hour before drinking so it isn’t overchilled. That said, if it’s a particularly warm day there is absolutely nothing wrong with adding a few ice cubes to your glass of rosé – even wine experts do this themselves!”
Beyond rosé, only one in six people would ever consider putting red wine in the fridge, despite M&S experts advising that some reds benefit from being lightly chilled, such as lighter, fruity styles like Pinot Noir, Grenache/Garnacha, Cinsault and the new Found Marzemino from northeast Italy. And when it comes to alfresco drinks, only a third of shoppers think that wine in a can, a pouch or a box can be the same quality as wine from a proper bottle. In fact only 28 per cent have tried wine from a pouch, despite the fact it lasts longer once opened than wine in a bottle!
For those looking for something a little different to serve their guests this summer, the nation is turning to Pét Nat fizz and orange wines, with searches for the latter up 99 per cent on Ocado in the past year as shoppers embrace the trend. However only 11 per cent are familiar with what Pét Nat actually is (a casual, unfiltered sparkling wine made using an ancient method where the yeast stays in the bottle), with many mistaking it for a piece of winemaking equipment used to sort grapes. Similarly, only a quarter of respondents had heard of orange wine, with some even believing it is a wine that has been fortified with orange liqueur.
M&S senior wine buyer Joseph Arthur says: “Despite what the name might suggest, orange wine has nothing to do with oranges! “It’s a type of wine that’s made from white grapes that are fermented with their skins still on, just like when making red wine. This gives it a beautiful amber colour and a unique flavour that’s a bit richer and more complex than regular white wine. It’s a great choice for anyone looking to try something different and exciting – a good example is our new Found Verdil from Valencia in Spain which is great with tapas like patatas bravas and garlicky prawns.”
Last year, M&S’s first piece of #WineWorries research found that a quarter of shoppers admitted to spending more than 10 minutes deliberating in the wine aisle – adding up to over 50 million hours collectively wasted each year as a nation. The problem was even starker in the younger generations, with one in six young people under 25 saying they had spent over 15 minutes trying to choose a bottle. In fact, these worries were often so great that those under the age of 35 said they were more nervous about choosing the right bottle of wine to go with dinner than they were about flying!
