Retro drink from the 70s some say was ‘cringe’ is now becoming cool

Friends in living room in 1970s talking and enjoying drinks
It’s no longer just a 1970s relic (Picture: Getty Images)

Let’s play a game… Ready?

Here’s your first clue: Which 1970s wine sold two bottles every three seconds in its heyday? That’s a whopping 23 million bottles a year, for those struggling with the math.

Time for your next clue: It’s Portuguese, comes in a squat bottle, looks orangey-crimson in colour and tastes slightly spritzy. Any guesses?

If you said Mateus Rosé, you’d be correct. But you’re also showing your age.

The pink drink has long been considered a relic that never really escaped its decade, at least, until now. It seems the brand is currently experiencing an ‘it’s so naff, it’s cool again’ moment.

So if you’re still sipping this effervescent icon of a drink, you may just be at the cutting edge of life again. Though if you’re also still drinking Babycham, there’s very little I can do to help you.

Robertson Buckhaven holding Mateus Rose
The wine from the 70s is having a moment (Picture: Robertson Buckhaven)
What happened to Mateus Rosé?

Created in 1942 by Fernando Van Zeller Guedes, Mateus Rosé was aimed squarely at the US market, since Europe was basically blocked off by war.

It was very much of the moment, even the wine’s distinctive bottle was modelled on the shape of a First World War soldier’s water flask, which gave it immediate shelf-standout.

If you’re curious about the building on the label, it’s Mateus Palace, or Palácio de Mateus in Portugal. It wasn’t made there; they just liked the look of it.

The owners famously accepted a one-off payment for use of the image, instead of royalties. They must be kicking themselves now. It’s widely regarded as one of the biggest branding blunders of all time, given the wine has now sold over a billion bottles worldwide.

By the 1970s, Mateus wasn’t just big; it was arguably the world’s first wine brand. In the US alone, it was selling 48 million bottles a year.

By 1978, Mateus accounted for around 40% of all Portuguese wine exports. That’s because Britain and America were nowhere near where they are now in terms of being mass wine-drinking nations.

They couldn’t tell one end of a bottle of plonk from another, let alone get their head around the complexity of, say, French wine.

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Mateus offered something simple to understand, slightly sweet, lower in alcohol and easy to guzzle. It gave continental vibes, without being overly intimidating. Plus, with a curvy bottle, it looked a bit exotic, giving a bit of a chic Mediterranean moment.

And just like that, Mateus had made it into the zeitgeist.

Mateus rose wine bottle on a white background
You’ll want to turn this into frosé (Picture: Tesco)

So popular did it become that it was once requested by Queen Elizabeth II, who was dissatisfied with the wine selection at the Savoy Hotel when attending a private party – the local manager had to send out for a bottle.

Jimi Hendrix was also photographed drinking it out of the bottle, and it was namechecked by Elton John in his 1973 track, Social Disease: ‘I get juiced on Mateus just to hang loose.’

But as we know, anything fashionable must eventually become naff, especially where wine snobbery is involved.

By the 1980s and 90s, tastes had moved towards much drier, more serious wines. Sweetness became associated with unsophisticated drinkers, and if your mum drank Mateus, there’s no way on earth you would.

Then Provence rosé arrived on the scene, with its barely-there, salmon colour, bone-dry style and minimalist packaging. It represented the yacht-life, a rarified world that was tough to gain entry to – especially if you were caught sipping something as woefully dated as Mateus Rosé.

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Why is it having a renaissance now?

The Mateus Rosé comeback is really down to the fact that it’s really quite an enjoyable wine, with unapologetic flavours of candied strawberries and raspberries.

Nobody’s swirling it in the glass and discussing minerality and soil types; they’re adding it to slushie machines and making Mateus Frosé for the summer. Myself included.

That’s because the full-on fruitiness of Mateus Rosé provides a far better flavour profile for frosé than thin and acidic, pale rosés.

And the best bit? It’s only £6.50 in Sainsbury’s.

Who is drinking it?

Mateus’s renaissance will suit those who have only recently rediscovered Guinness, tinned fish or Campari. It’s on a level with Advocaat, fondue sets and The Piña Colada. From an era when people used to smoke indoors at office Christmas parties, and when flock wallpaper, shag carpets, lava lamps and avocado bathrooms were a thing.

It’s all a bit cringe, really. But then, the pendulum is swinging in favour of cringe these days.

Younger drinkers, especially Gen Z and cusp millennials, have started to embrace things dismissed as ‘tacky’ by older generations. Campy, retro and fun are in; overpriced and serious are out. And Mateus Rosé fits neatly into this tectonic shift.

How to make Mateus Frosé:

Ingredients (serves 4-6):