Pretty in Pink

Summer is upon us, and now is the time to drink pink. Rosé isn’t just for Summer, but this is when it comes into its own. Apéritif, al fresco lunch, spicy oriental food, seafood, salmon, you name it, it works.

And just like fashion, there’s a shade and style for everyone, with shimmering pink colours, alluring aromas, and summer style flavours from all over the world. Just ensure you buy the freshest possible, and by that I mean the 2017 vintage – rosé is all about lightness and mouth-watering succulence.

Here are my top tips for drinking pink this Summer…

We have to start with Côtes de Provence, which has taken the UK by storm in the last couple of years, entrancing with its gossamer-pale peach colour, conjuring up images of sun-drenched Riviera lunches, azure skies and glittering blue seas. Château Sainte Marguerite 2017 (£17.95) is my current favourite, a top-notch pedigree rosé, organic, and carefully made. Gently exuding scents and flavours of wild strawberries and ripe lemons, its elegance and style shine through.

One bottle of rosé is never enough between friends on a Summer’s day, so why not create the wow factor, with a magnum, in the shape of the beautifully crafted Château Gassier Le Pas du Moine 2017 (£29.50)? Its sleek curves and delicate bone-dry fruitiness are impressive and entrancing. Spot on with tuna nicoise.

Staying in Europe, but moving to the sun-drenched island of Sicily, I’ve recently tasted the new vintage of Planeta Rosé 2017 (£11.95), whisper-pale and gossamer-light; it’s fabulously fresh, with crisp pomegranate and rosehip flavours tripping across the tongue. Gentle and very pretty. What to pair it with? Prawns, seafood, and platters of antipasti.

Over in Spain and Portugal, there’s a trio of very different pinks to suit every palate. Ribafreixo Pato Frio Cashmere Rosé 2016 (£10.75) from sun-baked Alentejo, south of Lisbon, is ethereal and silky soft, as the name suggests, with tantalising aromas and flavours of wild strawberries and cream. Over the border, from one of Rioja’s elite producers, Ramon Bilbao Rosado 2017 (£9.95), another hauntingly pale pink, is arguably the best value rosé on shelf today, showing class and pedigree, wafting notes of summer fruits and lemon peel, with an irresistibly fresh yet persistent finish. Enchanting. More perfect pinks for summer al fresco living.

Ramping up several notches on the colour spectrum is Mas Amor Rosado 2016 (£10.95), with its Barcelona graffiti-inspired label. A far deeper pink in colour, it’s nevertheless still bone dry, but bold, and packed with succulent raspberry fruit. This is a great match for spicy food, so think piri-piri chicken and tandoori prawns.

The New World is equally clever with rosé, so to tempt you to explore, renowned South African winemaker Ken Forrester has come up with his great value Petit Rosé 2017 (£9.50), peachy pink in colour, with aromas of freshly cut watermelon, and mouth-watering red berry flavours, crisp and super-fresh on the finish. Fast-tracking across the southern hemisphere, New Zealand favourite Yealands Estate Pinot Noir Rosé (£13.95) is creamy in texture, with juicy, raspberry-scented fruit. Both of these would work well with salmon, prawns, or spicy BBQ pork steaks.

Finally, Summer wouldn’t be Summer without some fizz. There is a raft of Champagne available, from Taittinger Prestige Rosé Brut NV (£45) to grower Champagne Gobillard Brut Rosé NV (£29.50), but to ring the changes why not support our very own rapidly-developing English sparkling wine industry by trying one of my favourites, Hattingley Valley Rosé 2014 (£34.50), from a solar-powered family estate in Hampshire. Sophisticated and supremely elegant, it outshines many Champagnes, with its fine mousse, beguiling red berry aromas and ripe, creamy and refined flavours. One to savour.

For parties, look no further than Domaine de Brizé, Saumur Brut Rosé NV (£14.50), a remarkable price for this award-winning fizz from the Loire, lively and fresh, with crunchy cranberry and red apple fruit, citrusy and refreshing. You can’t go wrong with this one for large gatherings, and it will make a welcome change from Prosecco.

The pink season is upon us; experiment, try new styles and enjoy!

Angela Mount