What is Provence rosé?Pale, dry and Mediterranean — and our rosés at Fiena, King's Cross

Provence is in south-east France, just south of the Alps. The Romans called it provincia nostra, "our province" — it was their first province outside Italy, which is where the name comes from. Wine has been made there for at least 2,600 years, since Greek settlers founded Marseille in 600 BC.

Today the region is best known for rosé, which makes up more than half of all Provençal wine. The Côtes de Provence is the largest appellation, and around 80% of what it makes is rosé, mainly from grapes such as Grenache, Cinsaut, Mourvèdre and Tibouren. The vines get more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, and the cold mistral wind from the north helps keep them dry. Background from Wikipedia's Provence wine page.

Rosé production in Provence grew in the twentieth century alongside tourism on the French Riviera, as a partner for local dishes like bouillabaisse and aioli. The region's rosé is noted for pairing well with garlic-based dishes — useful to know in an Italian kitchen.

There are two on the list:

• House rosé: a light-bodied, dry rosé with fresh fruit character.
• Chemin de Provence rosé: pale and delicate, a light-bodied dry rosé with ripe strawberry and raspberry aromas and subtle hints of guava.

Prefer white or sparkling? See our posts on Pinot Grigio, Sancerre and Prosecco, or the overview of our Italian wine list.

A dry rosé is at home with lighter plates from the main menu: the Caprese with buffalo mozzarella and heritage tomato, Marinated seafood dressed with olive oil and lemon, Tiger prawns cooked with garlic and white wine, or the Goat cheese salad. For a main, try the Sea bass with capers sauce or Salmon with lemon sauce. See Caprese, tiger prawns and sea bass.

Guests notice the glass as well as the plate. Normof wrote: Wine was good, too. (Normof, Google review) And on a sunny day, Kiley's advice: I’d also recommend sitting outside and enjoying a cocktail here. (Kiley, Google review) A glass of rosé works just as well on our Judd Street terrace.

“The food was absolutely delicious, and the service was excellent.”

Buket, Google reviews, 2026