Is blouge the new red?

With the trend to lighter styles of red wines, a new style of wine is gaining traction, Blouge wine. It is a blend of red and white grapes that promise lighter red almost rose wines, very on trend at the moment, and helps to create balanced wines in the face of climate change.

The style started in Alsace in the 2010’s by co-fermenting red and white wines together as has been done in Northern Rhone and Chianti for centuries. Adding white grapes to red, softens tannins in the red wines, while adding fresh acidity and aromatic lift, creating lighter styles more suitable for casual dinning and drinking.

The lighter pale wines avoid EU rules that ban rosé wine production by blending red and white grapes. But adding red and white grapes together before fermentation finishes is allowed under EU rules. The wines are not considered a rosé but a new style called blouge made by mixing of the French word blanc and rouge. Blending finished white and red wines are still banned in general in the EU, but co fermenting is ok, as long as it is not for rosé production. But because they are not recognised as a style most have to use the most basic Vin d France.

The trend may have started in Alsace but are being made all over France, the USA and Australia. Almost anywhere winemakers want to experiment.

According to Sarah Campbell of IWSR, a market research company, blouge wines are generally lower in alcohol than red wines and more versatile to food pairing compared to rosé. Blouge wines are often targeted at new younger wine drinkers.

Sales are small but showing impressive growth, for example, Boogie Woogie wines made by Aubert & Mathieu from Languedoc, sold 20,000 bottles in 2025, up 40% on 2024 sales according to Anthony Aubert, who claimed “it is an interesting start for a new segment”.

Blouge may also help with climate change. As the climate warms, picking grapes when the tannins are ripe can result in wines with very high alcohols and low acidity. By adding earlier harvested white grapes it lowers the alcohol and boosts the freshness.

Examples:
France, Bordeaux Jacques Lurton and Vignobles André Lurton, ‘J’. (Cab Franc, Sauv Blanc)

Australia, Adelaide Hills, Gentlefolk, Rainbow Juice, (Sangiovese, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc)

USA, California Las Jaras Superbloom (Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Carignan Grenache Noir)

France, Languedoc, Aubert & Mathieu, Boogie Woogie, (Grenache Noir and Grenache Gris)

France, Alsace, Claude Straube, Bobo Blouge No2 (Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir)

France, Lucas Madonia, The Blouge, (Riesling, Sylvaner, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot)