The Association Internationale des Rosés de Terroirs (AIRT), created in 2021, has set itself the single mission of (re)promoting rosés de terroirs, rosés de garde. This means dispelling a few preconceived ideas, as the adventure has only just begun.
Among the endless summer chestnuts in the trade press and elsewhere, rosé wine comes out on top. Rosé from Provence vs. rosé from Languedoc, light rosé vs. tinted rosé, etc. It must be said that 1 in every 3 bottles of wine sold in France is a rosé. Specialists often turn up their noses at “these wines that aren't really wines at all, these standardized productions inclined to follow in the footsteps of the Provençals”. This is why Rosés de Terroirs was born, and today some forty winegrowers are members of AIRT, chaired by Philippe Guigal. After 20 years of growth, the rosé market is entering a new phase, with a diversification of its offer, notably through identity rosés positioned in niche markets that are sometimes highly valued. These are rosés of the terroir, and their vocation is not to conform to trends. In fact, and to put it simply, these rosés are real (ageing) wines that tell stories of places, men and women. What could be more prescriptive than involving a few top chefs in the adventure, so that these rosés can accompany a wide variety of meals? These great terroir rosés will continue to complement pool rosés and thirst-quenching rosés. In December 2022, AIRT approved the creation of the world's first terroir rosé ageing cellar! An initiative that should confirm the (forgotten) ageing potential of great rosés.
Henry Clemens / Photo : Jean Dusaussoy