Mateus Rosé is celebrating its 80th anniversary with a series of limited-edition packages.Supplied
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Few brands in the world of wine are as iconic as Mateus Rosé. Famous for its squat bottle that some refer to as a flask, Mateus is celebrating its 80th anniversary with a series of limited-edition packages showcasing its association with music and musicians over the years, including as Jimi Hendrix, Ace Frehley and Elton John.
With a name inspired by The Palace of Mateus in the Douro Valley, the soft, fizzy and sweet rosé was created in 1942 and gained international popularity following the Second World War. The innovative pink wine’s style was based on the naturally fizzy red and white wines made in Vinho Verde, while its distinctive bottle is said to be modelled after a Portuguese soldier’s water bottle.
In the 1970s, Mateus was the most popular wine in the world. It’s long been a fixture in Canadian liquor stores. Its Canadian Standard Product Code, a number once widely used to track inventory, is 166. (Another long-standing global brand, Mouton Cadet Bordeaux Red, is 943.) New listings at the LCBO are assigned six-digit numbers.
Despite being a foggy memory for many Canadian wine lovers, its sales continue to be robust, with a reported 23 million bottles sold around the world in 2021. Last year’s sales mark its best results of the last three decades. The brand, which is available in 120 countries around the world and has sold more than one billion bottles, hopes the anniversary celebrations and dressed-up bottles will continue to attract new audiences.
Mateus’ other legacy is the growth of its owner, Portugal’s largest wine producer, the family owned Sogrape, which has invested heavily in emerging regions in Portugal and purchased wineries in Spain (LAN), Argentina (Finca Flichman), Chile (Los Boldos) and New Zealand (Framingham). Notably, Sogrape owns port houses, Ferreira, Sandeman and Offley, and is responsible for Barca Velha, the Douro Valley’s most famous red wine.
Slightly sweet and fizzy, lower in alcohol than other rosés (11 per cent abv) and refreshing in nature, Mateus continues to be made in a fruity style that’s easy to appreciate even if you aren’t a rock star.
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