As a former party reporter for Style.com and Vogue, Kristin Tice Studeman had attended her fair share of events. With the Rosé Project, she wanted to bring those years of experience off the page by curating her own dinner series around the often-overlooked pink drink.
“I was determined to give the pink wine, which in recent years has exploded in popularity throughout the U.S., a proper place at the table,” she said, explaining that she had fallen in love with rosé after a recent trip to its birthplace—the south of France.
Usually wine-pairing dinners showcase reds and whites, while rosé takes a backseat as the forgotten middle child among the beverage industry, earning nicknames like “Hamptons Gatorade” and “summer water.” But its sales are not a joke. According to beveragedynamics.com, rosé sales volume grew by 31.8 percent in the U.S. in 2015.
With her new wine-and-dinner series in the Hamptons this July, Studeman wanted to celebrate the misunderstood category by “thinking about it in an elevated way.” She enlisted top chefs, including Dan Kluger of Loring Place; Ari Taymor of Alma at The Standard, Hollywood; and Melia Marden of the Smile, to create multi-course, rosé-paired dinners.
The series, which was hosted by Studeman and Surf Lodge owner Jayma Cardoso, kicked off on July 7 at the Montauk, New York, property and was presented by Chateau D’Esclans, makers of the ubiquitous Whispering Angel rosé wine. The invite-only dinners included a 40-plus guest list of food, fashion, art, and media types.
In addition to the dinners, Studeman also hosted a ticketed brunch and a Women in Wine panel on July 22, which was moderated by Bon Appetit wine editor Marissa A. Ross and included Alma restaurant co-founder and wine director Ashleigh Parsons, wine importer and distributor Amy Atwood, and Rebelle’s head sommelier Kimberly Prokoshyn. The panelists discussed their favorite rosé pairings, what to drink right now, and more.
Studeman said that she hopes to continue the series into the fall and winter, hosting more events in New York and possibly other cities. “I have always had so much respect for people who put on a great event, now more than ever,” she said.
