NZ & International Rosé
When it’s New Zealand vs France in the rosé stakes, the result is a dead heat, says MARY-THÉRÈSE BLAIR.
A couple of years ago, Cuisine decided to open up the wine pages to all international wine varietals, whereas previously Champagne and shiraz were the only overseas wines to feature. While the wines of New Zealand are always front and centre in our hearts, feedback and buying trends reflected that wine consumers wanted recommendations for great Kiwi wines alongside choices that reflected their knowledge of the wider world of wine. This is never more true than in the category of rosé. Recent years have seen a literal thirst for international rosés, in particular those from France. That said, since we’ve opened up entries New Zealand rosés have been mostly topping the bill with the odd foreigner coming through. A quick look at our top eight and, mon Dieu! – it’s an even split between the Kiwis and French, something that surprised even our judges. In this case, we can say we’re content enough with a draw, after all it’s rosé, not rugby.
