La Vie en Rose

In Jamie Ivey’s sequel to Extremely Pale Rosé, he finds out whether it is possible to run a successful rosé bar in France. French friends think it’s a crazy idea: bar customers are largely men and rosé is seen as a woman’s drink; rosé is a seasonal drink and Jamie’s trade will vanish come September – and rosé isn’t supposed to accompany food. Yet France seems to be on the brink of a rosé revolution: rosé sales are booming. If Jamie can find a small bar in a pretty square and chalk up a selection of different rosés, a rosé bar could be a great success. Bars in Uzes, Aix en Provence and Nimes agree to help Jamie sell some rosé, and he discovers what the French attitude to rosé really is. Are gnarled old men discarding their pastis and sipping pale rosé? Is it just a myth that the French don’t drink rosé with food? Are the young the real reason for booming sales? For readers who enjoyed Extremely Pale Rosé, and envied Jamie and Tanya Ivey’s researches, La Vie En Rose is the perfect second glass.