The Rosés de Terroir Association was born in February 2020, in France, with the intention of bringing together all the Rosès de Terroir of the world (of the companies that want to be part of the Association) to disseminate the culture and diversity of a type of wine still little taken into account and yet so capable of surprising.
Let’s find out more from the words of Guillaume Demoulin, President of the Association.
©Association Internationale des Rosés de Terroirs (AIRT)-Portrait grappe bourboulenc
The Association Internationale des Rosés de Terroirs (AIRT), created in 2021, was born with an objective as ambitious as it is necessary: to spread and promote the culture and quality of rosé wines. One year after its birth, what is the current situation?
After Tavel’s “call” to set up this association in 2021, things went well, despite the complicated years of COVID.
Today, ten cuvées have been co-opted and almost as many winemakers are part of the AIRT (only 2 winemakers in 2 cuvées in the AIRT). The selection of vintages is very eclectic, our desire is not in any way to limit the entry of this association to a single type of rosé but, on the contrary, to have a broad mentality, accepting Provence, Riceys or Côtes de Toul but also wines rosé wines beyond the French borders as proof with the cooperation with Bardolino Chiaretto.
Our leitmotif is to select rosés that give us emotion, expressing their terroir of origin at best, the winemaking technique must not take precedence over the quality of the terroir of the grapes.
©Association Internationale des Rosés de Terroirs (AIRT)
The plans for the next three years are very ambitious. Can you name a few?
The goal, over the next three years, is to bring together and make visible those who, including producers and retailers, are already convinced of the value of rosé wines.
The key action will be the identification of the places where it will be possible to “experience” the terroir rosé (members of the association, retailers, partners). These locations will display the “Roses of Terroirs Experience” sticker or window decal.
On the site www.rosesdeterroirs.com a map will allow you to identify them and follow their multiplication. To be part of the Association it will be sufficient to have at least one cuvée selected by the Association.
©Association Internationale des Rosés de Terroirs (AIRT)
Furthermore, by the end of the year there will be two main objectives:
– make visible and enhance the old vintages in the terroir rosé wines (at least 10 years);
– organize the development of this offer for a hyper-targeted target. The starred French chef Nicolas Durif, of the restaurant l’Hysope, near La Rochelle, will sponsor the creation of this very special offer of the Association.
©Association Internationale des Rosés de Terroirs (AIRT)-Glass AIRT
The strength of your Association is internationality. Not just to spread French but also foreign excellences. What characteristics must the rosé wines of the companies associated with your association have?
As mentioned before, the tasted cuvées must produce emotion, awaken feelings and curiosity in us. Too many rosé wines are formatted and look alike, AIRT wants to go against this smoothing of qualities.
AIRT rosé wines must have the same characteristics as other great wines, i.e. expression of their terroir and a certain aging capacity. For this reason, during the co-optation tasting we only taste wines that are at least one year old.
©Association Internationale des Rosés de Terroirs (AIRT)
Wines with their own personality but still not very powerful in communication. In your opinion, is it the fault of companies that have never invested enough in creating adequate communication (as was done for whites and reds), or the fault of the market, of the disinterested consumer?
This segment of Rosés de Terroirs is still a niche market, but it is developing so much that professionals and consumers alike expect a wider range of rosé wines. This is where the AIRT wines have a card to play.
Until now the Rosés de Terroirs already existed, but each on their own or through small appellations such as Tavel or Riceys, or reserved cuvées of some winemakers.
©Association Internationale des Rosés de Terroirs (AIRT)-Guillaume Demoulin
