TRACK: What’s reigning and pouring across Hub?
Rose outlook has never been so sweet
We've hit peak rose and bars around Boston are preparing themselves to cater to our increasing pink wine demands.
“Social media has played a major role in rose's popularity. It's all about that Instagram photo,” said Rob Saunders, general manager of the Envoy Hotel's LOOKOUT rooftop bar and OUTLOOK restaurant.
“Being outside, people gravitate to the color, especially during the day,” he continued. “It's a day drink, not so much a night drink.”
Saunders said that beginning in mid-April, bars have to start stocking up on rose — not only in Boston but across the country. For instance, he pointed to the rose shortage a couple of summers back that afflicted poor, helpless Hamptons-goers who just wanted to get their pink wine on.
In a way, rose has become more of a warmweather lifestyle than a light and refreshing beverage that'll get you buzzed.
“We've come up with the saying, `On Sundays, we rose,'” Saunders said. He added that Envoy's establishments are offering a rosecentric menu this season, with the expectation that they will “go through well over 2,000 bottles this summer.”
Other bars in town are bracing themselves to keep up with people's unquenchable thirst for these young wines. The folks at Frenchie, a funky French bistro the team from Petit Robert recently opened in the South End, anticipates it will sell “1,200 to 1,500 bottles, easily.”
Joseph Scelfo, general manager at Frenchie, said, “As far as rose trends go, we try not to go with them. We don't want to offer something that you can get at Whole Foods, but we do get what we enjoy drinking and don't care about the label.”
However, Frenchie has bought into one rose trend that swept New York City last summer: Frosé. Basically, it's a rosé slush.
“It's in line with Frenchie, as a whole,” he said. “It's fun, it's seasonally grapefruity and refreshing ... I'd like to think (the French) would see we're having fun with their great grapes.”
Frose is where he draws the line, though. You won't see any of the talked-up rose 40s or cans now infiltrating the market served on Frenchie's Tremont patio.
“We don't do that,” he said. “There is a limit.”