Read more: THE ROSÉ WINE REPORT

However, there does seem to be the beginnings of a shift towards the use of dark glass to package more premium examples of rosé wine. Darker glass – whether feuille morte or darker still – can incorporate recycled glass (recycled clear glass has a grey tint and is not used for premium rosé), and also has the advantage of protecting the wine from lightstrike, a problem rosé is particularly susceptible to and which can lead to a savoury, herbal character in the wine – at worst a slightly cabbagey note.

Although the problem is more commonly associated with Champagne, in our tastings for the Rosé Wine Report 2023, around 30% of wines tasted suffered from lightstrike. As such, I would say that one of the growing indicators for a premium rosé is that it’s bottled in dark glass. Darker vessels represented around 10% of the wines submitted to be tasted for the Report but these bottles made up a significant 30% of the top-scoring wines.

Clemence Fabre of Famille Fabre says they chose to bottle their Les Amouries in dark glass because of the wine’s ageing potential and the need to protect the wine from lightstrike. While the dark bottle has contributed to the wine’s image and has been ‘welcomed by professionals,’  Fabre says it has been difficult sell to French consumers. Philippe Brel of Estandon agrees. They had originally bottled Legende and Ceux 1906 in dark glass but were unable to successfully sell a rosé without displaying its colour.

‘There must be a point of confidence: if you sell your rosé based on oenology, you know what’s in the bottle,’ says Nadine Fau, the director of Château Galoupet. ‘We don’t sell by the colour, we sell by the taste.’ Fau said the initial resistance led to discussion and proved to be an icebreaker, with customers curious to understand the rationale for the darker glass.

For Stellios Boutaris of Ktima Kir Yianni in the northern Greek region of Naoussa, Agathoto’s dark bottle was a clear statement: ‘Not as an act of rebellion but as a purposeful decision that gives voice to diversification and distinctiveness.’ The uniqueness of the packaging has allowed them to focus on what makes this rosé different. Its gastronomic potential, offered as an alternative to red wine, means they are aiming at more discerning consumers who appreciate the wine’s ageing potential.

With ageing potential a significant indicator of fine wine, putting a rosé into dark glass to avoid damaging lightstrike is a vote of confidence in its quality. Coupled with the sustainable advantages of dark glass, it seems safe to say that there will be a growing number of premium rosé moving to the dark side.

Unsure of the contents? Pink wax capsules on many of these dark glass bottles act as rosy indicators when browsing the aisles.