‘Brosé’ phenomenon ‘led by metrosexuals’

The recent “brosé” phenomenon of men embracing pink wine is being driven by open-minded “metrosexuals” according to one leading Provence rosé producer.

Mirabeau founder Stephen Cronk thinks “metrosexuals” are driving the “brosé” phenomenon

Speaking exclusively to the drinks business, Stephen Cronk, founder and owner of Mirabeau, said: “The “brosé” phenomenon is not surprising when you consider that the metrosexual male is also buying more grooming products and face creams than ever before.

“Unlike his dad, he’s not worried about traditional macho-man peer pressure, so why not drink pink wine? We’ve seen the masculinisation of the colour pink over the last decade – one example in sport is rugby, with teams like Stade Français and Cardiff Blues wearing pink rugby kits.”

Spearheaded by former footballer David Beckham, “metrosexuals” are meticulous about grooming and spend a lot of time and money on their appearance. Cronk believes passionately that rosé is no longer a compromise choice for either men or women.

“Rosé is such a refreshing alternative to red and white. It’s not as tannic as red or as floral and delicate as many whites, but it’s also not a compromise. Rosé is a real alternative, a third option,” he told db.

He describes his approach at Mirabeau as similar to a Champagne producer due to his desire to work with the best grape growers in the Provence region.

“Our chief winemaker, Jo Ahearne MW, blends to a consistent style and quality for our two rosés so the consumer knows what they can expect from each bottle of Mirabeau,” he said

Cronk describes Mirabeau’s sales in the US and UK as “staggering”, having nearly doubled year on year, fuelled by a thirst for larger format bottles.

“The popularity of large bottle sizes has been a big surprise for us, and it’s another parallel with Champagne – people love large formats. We sell lots of magnums and have started with Jeroboams, which are selling like hotcakes. We’ve even have had requests for Imperials so watch this space,” he said.

“Provence rosé has come a long way since I first visited the region in 1982. Then, rosé was just for tourists and a bi-product of making red wine. In the last 10 years the best cellars have made considerable investments in equipment and the difference in quality is astonishing.

“Now Provence is the only wine region in the world truly specialising in rosé and it’s setting the benchmark globally for this style of wine,” he added.