Pink wine is everywhere. On supermarket shelves, on Instagram, and clutched in the hands of celebrities. If there is a single defining wine of the 21st Century, it has to be rosé.

How did this pink wine go from being considered an icon of 70s kitsch to a celebrity diva?

In this episode of A Question of Drinks, hosts Lulie Halstead and Felicity Carter delve into the fascinating world of rosé wine, looking at the economic, social, and technological forces that have made rosé wine such a hit.

From novel cooling systems to Instagram, the story of rosé is one of quirky changes that have had major consequences. Tracing the story from Portugal to Provence to the world, this is a story about how and why rosé became an unstoppable trend.

[00:05:28] Is the rosé wine boom here to stay — or just a fad?

[00:13:00] The surprising truth about global rosé consumption

[00:18:17] How changes in technology led to new styles of wine

[00:27:12] The role of Provence

[00:35:06] How Instagram fuelled a wine boom

The days of the pre-lunch cocktail followed by the bottle of wine at lunch, followed by a chaser, are well and truly over. The peak of alcohol consumption came in 2012 and it’s fallen 25% since then. Not only are people drinking less alcohol than ever before, but many people now see any amount of alcohol as being bad for them.

What happened?

In this insightful episode, Lulie Halstead and Felicity Carter look at the impact of technology, the rise of health and wellness trends, and the emergence of the sober curious movement. They also discuss the rise of the No- and Low-Alcohol category and ask whether it has a future or is just a momentary trend.

And they dive into controversial questions about just how bad (or not) alcohol really is, and look at the impact of health lobby messaging. You might want a drink in hand as you listen.

[00:01:55] Global Alcohol Consumption Decline Since 2012, it’s all been downhill.

[00:04:32] The Impact of Technology How a new gadget hit the market and had an unexpected impact on alcohol consumption.

[00:05:50] The Rise of Zebra Striping The hosts explore how the sober curious movement and the new trend of zebra striping are changing drinking habits.

[00:17:06] Conflicting Research on Safe Alcohol Levels The discussion highlights conflicting research and the controversy around the claim there is no safe level of alcohol.

[00:27:40] The Future of the Drinks Market With so much changing so fast, where to from here?

Meet Your Hosts:

Lulie Halstead founded and led international consumer research and strategy consultancy Wine Intelligence, and led it to a successful PE exit. Today she is a renowned global beverage alcohol and wine sector specialist, focused on consumer behaviour, strategy, retail and hospitality. An accomplished keynote speaker, she has spoken at more than 70 international events over the past 20 years.Felicity Carter is an award-winning wine and drinks journalist, editor and content strategist. She led Meininger’s Wine Business International to become the world’s most must-read wine trade magazine, and was founding Executive Editor of The Drop/Pix, which the Wall Street Journal named one of the most trusted sources of wine information. A regular keynote speaker, she was named a 2024 Industry Leader by WineBusiness Monthly.

Why do we drink what we do? And why are we drinking different wines than we did 30 years ago?

Lulie Halstead and Felicity Carter do a deep dive into why the wine rack looks very different than it once did. But what is a wine style and who determines it?

And who gets to decide what we drink? It turns out the answer involves changes in technology, fashion and even what looks good on Instagram.

In the course of the discussion they roam over academic research, popular culture, the role of celebrities and critics, and even whether there really is more choice on the shelf, or whether it’s an illusion.

Included in this episode:

[1:00] All about the hidden side of the drinks market.

[14:00] How wine styles are classified.

[19:00] The unexpected role of technology.

[32:00] The influence of the critics and whether their judgements are still important or not.

Meet Your Hosts:

Lulie Halstead founded and led international consumer research and strategy consultancy Wine Intelligence, and led it to a successful PE exit. Today she is a renowned global beverage alcohol and wine sector specialist, focused on consumer behaviour, strategy, retail and hospitality. An accomplished keynote speaker, she has spoken at more than 70 international events over the past 20 years.

Felicity Carter is an award-winning wine and drinks journalist, editor and content strategist. She led Meininger’s Wine Business International to become the world’s most must-read wine trade magazine, and was founding Executive Editor of The Drop/Pix, which the Wall Street Journal named one of the most trusted sources of wine information. A regular keynote speaker, she was named a 2024 Industry Leader by WineBusiness Monthly.