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FIRST SIP ® W A Rosé by Any Other Name… May 2013 Vol. 24 No. 4 Executive Vice President, Group Publisher Charles Forman Tel (845) 426-6072 cforman@specialtyim.com Editor Melissa Dowling Tel (203) 855-8499 ext. 223 mdowling@specialtyim.com e had a surplus of sample wines at Cheers headquarters recently, and the team members were all picking out a bottle or two of wine to enjoy at home. "I guess I'll take this rosé, since my wife likes sweet wines," said one colleague. The wine he had selected, a Russian River Valley rosé of pinot noir, certainly looked liked it would taste sweet—its deep-pink color brought to mind Strawberry Kool-Aid. But while the rosé did impart some flavors of strawberry, as well as plum, it was crisp, refreshing and anything but overly sweet. The perception that all rosés are sweet is a lingering one in the U.S. Why is that? Many of us started drinking wine the same way we started drinking coffee: light and sweet. White zinfandel, moscato and other sweeter "blush" wines are often the first wines people taste. And given that young consumers typically don't have much disposable income, they're not buying the best of the barrel. So as their tastes change, and they move on to drier varieties, many wine drinkers don't return to pink wines. Rose-colored wines still get dismissed as cheap and sweet—even by people that profess to know a lot about wine. That's a shame, as this major misconception is preventing people from trying some amazing wines. Plenty of red-wine drinkers would probably enjoy a glass of cool, crisp rosé this summer if they knew what they were missing. As the article "The Bloom is on Rosé" on page 40 points out, customers who appreciate rosés are beginning to spread the word, as are many restaurant wine directors. But the pink wine still has a ways to go before it gains widespread acceptance in the U.S. If you're looking for a good rosé to try or recommend, quite a few pop up among the Cheers national wine panel's favorite summer wines. The descriptions and ratings for the panel's picks start on page 44. We also look at the trends of locavore drinks (page 32), session beers (page 36) and low-alcohol cocktails (page 23). And our cover story on vodka highlights some new and noteworthy brands and offers tips on marketing high-end vodkas. Not that operators really need help selling vodka; it's the world's most-consumed spirit. But as more premium vodkas enter the market and become known for nuanced taste profiles rather than neutral mixability, it will be important to be able to distinguish the key characteristics of the different types. Managing Editor Jeremy Nedelka Tel (203) 855-8499 ext. 213 jnedelka@specialtyim.com Art Director Kathleen Sage ksage@specialtyim.com Production Director Mary Jo Tomei Tel (760) 318-7000 ext. 220 mtomei@specialtyim.com Editor-at-Large Liza B. Zimmerman Contributing Editors John Fischer Kelly Magyarics Robert Plotkin Monica Kass Rogers Thomas Henry Strenk Vice President of Sales, Associate Publisher Anthony Bongiovanni Tel (248) 253-0108 tbongiovanni@specialtyim.com Senior Regional Sales Managers Mark Marcon Tel (248) 761-6231 mmarcon@specialtyim.com Debbie Rittenberg Tel (215) 860-0306 drittenberg@specialtyim.com List Rental & Reprints Cheryl Naughton Tel (678) 292-6054 cnaughton@specialtyim.com Cheers® is published by Specialty Information Media Editorial offices at 17 High Street, 2nd Floor Norwalk, CT 06851 Cheers (ISSN 1051-564X—USP Number 007-239) is published nine times per year (January/February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November/December) by Specialty Information Media, 17 High Street, Norwalk, CT 06851. Periodical Rate Postage paid at Norwalk, CT and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Cheers, P.O. Box 2123, Skokie, IL 60076-7823 SUBSCRIPTIONS: One-year subscription rates: USA $35.00; Canada $50.00; air mail to other countries $75.00. Melissa Dowling Editor 6 | MAY 2013 ANDREA TOPALIAN Cheers! All subscriptions payable in U.S. dollars. Payment must accompany order. To subscribe write: Cheers, P.O. Box 2123, Skokie, IL 60076-7823, or call the Cheers customer service line at 847-763-9565, Fax 847-763-9569, M-F 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CST. Subscription customer service e-mail: cheers@halldata.com. Copyright 2013 by Specialty Information Media, 17 High Street, Norwalk, CT 06851. Reproduction without the express written consent of the publisher is prohibited. Specialty Information Media, publishes Cheers, Beverage Dynamics, StateWays, Wine & Spirits Industry Marketing, Handbook Advance, Liquor Handbook, Wine Handbook, Beer Handbook and Fact Book. www.cheersonline.com