Home News > May 2025 > Sense and seasonality

Sense and seasonality

In recent years, producers of super-pale, aromatic rosé have invested significant resources into promoting the category as a year-round indulgence – and all power to them. “There is a growing trend towards year-round consumption of rosé. This can be attributed to consumers increasingly recognising the appeal of enjoying the style beyond traditional seasonal boundaries,” says Luke Spalding, general manager & viticulturist at Everflyht Estate.

“We’re definitely seeing good winter rosé sales these days, which wasn’t the case 10 years ago,” agrees Tom Ashworth of Yapp Brothers. Buoyed by innovation and a (reportedly) more flexible consumer mindset, classical seasonal tipples - rosé being the most obvious -  may be poised to escape their seasonal pigeonhole. But are consumers ready to let go of long-held habits? Or is seasonality ultimately a boon for the trade?

Blurring the lines

In an increasingly volatile climate, these questions carry new urgency. Seasonality used to be a relatively stable guide for both consumption and production, allowing businesses to predict demand and manage inventory levels. But with weather no longer adhering to age-old patterns, wine’s traditional calendar is under pressure. Last year, for example, spring was a complete washout, yet April 2025 was the sunniest on record, according to the Met Office. This mercurial environment, combined with shifting consumer attitudes, can provide new challenges for sommeliers  – and opportunities too.

“Seasonality absolutely continues to influence guest behaviour, though the extent and impact of that influence is shifting,”  says Elizabeth Mellish, head sommelier at Gleneagles Townhouse in Edinburgh.

She adds: “The cliché of rosé being a summer-only drink still holds some truth: we see a marked increase in demand for it as soon as the weather warms.”  At the same time, Mellish recognises that demand is “no longer as rigidly seasonal as it once was”, creating revenue streams that were hitherto restricted to colder months – or vice versa.

According to the sommelier: “Many guests today are more adventurous and willing to explore styles outside traditional seasonal boundaries.” For buyers and producers alike, managing stock and tailoring a list based around the calendar has become a more nuanced game, as unpredictable weather patterns and evolving values blur the once-clear lines of seasonal consumption.

Meanwhile, Rupert Pritchett, MD of Taurus Wines, offers the perspective of a leading merchant.

“The marketing-driven rosé  brands have done a lot of winter activation on ski slopes - as long as it's sunny people will drink pink. This then translates into sales in ski-themed bars in the UK -  for example, the Rose & Crown in Godalming (Surrey) which has a Nordic/ ski theme in the winter.”

He adds: “Prosecco is now a [year-round] celebration drink so as likely to be a summer wedding as Christmas /New Year.”

Yet Stuart Bond, sommelier at the Cavendish hotel, believes the trade should promote a broader spectrum of warm-weather beverages that transcends the clichés of pretty pink rosé and quaffable sparkling.

Bond says: “Although 'seasonal wine' might classically focus on colour, it is both the texture and weight of the wine that really counts.” Therefore Bond likes to champion “light and fresh red wines slightly chilled at 12-13° Celsius with higher acidity, lower tannin, and also lower in alcohol”. Such dynamism, he believes, can help market traditionally wintry styles in the depths of July -  and prevent a deluge of leftover stock.

Defending tradition

The subject of seasonality, however, is an emotive one, with leading professionals travelling in different directions. For every proponent of smashing preconceptions, there is a voice defending an ethos rooted in  seasonal rhythms – even amid the complications of global warming.

Ryosuke Mashio, sommelier at Marylebone's Roketsu, is a staunch advocate of the latter approach.

“We change our menu monthly, reflecting the Japanese culture, seasonal events and philosophy using seasonal ingredients. In warm/hot seasons, there are more greens and cold dishes, so automatically the drinks I recommend become lighter and fresher,” he explains.

Highlighting the psychological impact of weather, he notes that when guests “see bright daylight through the window (even if they're indoors),  they desire wines that are   light, fruity and fresh”.

Mashio continues: “In warmer seasons, I personally like to drink [and promote] light, crisp, fruit- driven wines in general. For example, bone-dry German Riesling which has precise minerality, orchard fruits and electric vibrancy that is a perfect drink during hot seasons. Although I'm not a big fan of Sauvignon Blanc, the green/herbaceous character with citrus fruits makes me desire a glass, especially during a warm afternoon on terrace. These are the range I always list as by-the-glass selections during the seasons rather than oak-influenced, full-bodied white or oily, viscous, rich wines.”

Indeed, seasonality still plays a pivotal role in business turnover, as many in the trade will happily admit.

According to Pritchett: “Typically, November and December add up to roughly a quarter of our annual turnover. Gifts and general consumption levels are simply higher in the run-up to Christmas.”

On a similar theme, Jeroboams wine director Peter Mitchell MW reveals that 79% of Jeroboams’ rosé sales normally occur between April and September, and that May, June and July are the biggest quarter representing 47% of the annual total.

Raising the temperature further, Robert Maynard, director at Chanctonbury Wines, observes “rosé is highly seasonal and there's nothing wrong with that”.

With typical wit, he adds: “You don't see the good folk of Châteauneuf du Pape saying ‘we're not just for winter nights, try chucking some ice in and having a go!’.” When marketers claim that seasonality is “so last season”, they may be getting a little ahead of themselves.

Nevertheless, influential voices within the trade report a slow but steady shift in how – and when – drinkers are enjoying certain wine styles. But old habits die hard, and for many consumers, the weather still plays a role in determining the contents of their glass.  The opportunity for the trade is not to push back against seasonality but to work with it more flexibly – nudging boundaries as opposed to breaking them.

Then we really can have our cake and eat it.