Rose season 2023 preview

This year’s rose supply still may be slightly foozled, but prices could be stable – so, all in all, not entirely bad news

The pink wine supply situation as we approach the 2023 rose season may be better than it has been the last couple of years. Prices, if nothing else, should be more or less what they were last year. The catch? That even though the shipping situation is much improved over the past couple of years, producers in Europe and the U.S. are still having difficulty finding bottles, closures, and even labels, thanks to entirely different supply chain problems.

“It’s always a wild card with importing,” says Andrew Stover of Siema Wines & Vino50 Selections, a long-time friend of the blog. “It’s getting the stock, and getting it in a timely manner that is the issue.”

The catch this year, after talking to a variety of retailers, producers, and importers, is glass for bottles. The war in Ukraine and its squeeze on Europe’s energy supply has raised prices for glass there and in the U.S., not only making bottles more expensive but harder to find. This may limit the supply of rose, since there won’t be enough bottles for all of it.

Says Stover: “Last year we saw 2021 roses coming in May, and usually it’s March. And so far this year, none of our imported 2022 roses are here yet. Maybe April.”

And prices? Probably more or less stable after a variety of increases last year. On the one hand, there is still lots and lots of rose on store shelves from the past couple of vintages, even though demand for rose is one of the few bright spots for wine sales in the U.S. For example, a host of retailers are still selling 2019 and 2020 roses; this includes the 2020 Campuget, a fine $10 pink that would have almost certainly have sold out in years past.

I’ll update this post if the situation changes. Until then, know that the blog’s 16^th annual rose previews – featuring lots and lots of roses that most of us can afford to buy – will post on May 25.