Pretty in Pink Rosé

Make mine a rosé

Rose is probably THE wine style of the past few years, taking over parties, picnics and pubs like nothing else. It's hard to believe that only a decade or so ago, rosé was seen as a second-class wine citizen, made by using left-over red wine grapes for a diminishing market. How things have changed! Rosé is essentially a pink wine made from red grapes, with minimal skin contact, in the style of white wine. They are generally made from the same grapes as your favourite reds; look closely at the label of any decent bottle of pink vino, and you’ll most likely find that it’s produced from grapes like Shiraz, Grenache, Pinot Noir or Sangiovese or a blend of these, with the red grapes crushed, the pink juice strained off the skins after a period of time, then fermented and bottled. Winemakers wishing to concentrate their red juice might also ‘bleed’ a little of the clearer juice off the top and bottle it as a rosé ‘saignée’ wine. So why can bottles of rosé be such different colours and have such different characteristics? The answer comes down to the variety and how long the grape skins have been in contact with the juice. The palest pink rosés were invented in Provence and are seen to be the epitome of the style: dry and crisp, with rose petal and cream flavours and lingering acidity. These delicately-coloured wines are easy to like and even easier to recognise, even if produced in a different country or region and have come to be seen as the reliably dry version. Darker rosés, like those from Tavel or Abruzzo in Italy, tend to have a little more ‘grunt’; more palate weight, structure, tannin, and sometimes a little more sweetness from residual sugar too. However, although dry rosés are ubiquitous, sweeter versions like Mateus from Portugal and White Zinfandel from California are still very popular. Wit this selection we're offering drinkability, smashability and interest. Pink wine for the win!

3 rosé to try

In this special pack you'll enjoy: Old Mates Rosé 2024 Rosé with real personality this - depth and character in one hugely drinkable bottle! This spicy Syrah-based rosé really takes the style to new heights... this is not just for picnics! Although we have to admit, it would make for a fun summer sipper, this is also right at home in the dinner table, with plenty of pink grapefruit, dried peach and cinnamon, backed up by whip-sharp acidity. M + B Wines 'Hilltops' Rosé 2025 Welcome to the grown-up world of great rosé. Tapping into a treasure trove of Hilltops grapes, this beautiful pale and savoury rosé is made mainly from Nebbiolo with a smattering of other Italian red grapes. This dry and subtly powerful wine has all these lovely blood orange and raspberry notes with a long and finessed finish. Bodegas Pinoso 'Almorqui' Rosé 2024 From Alicante in Spain, the ‘Almorqui’ rosé is another blockbuster Monastrell-based rosé with plenty of spark to get you going. There is a nice pink blush followed up by watermelon and raspberry fruit notes and cherry blossoms. There is a springtime freshness about this wine that will have you thinking about moving the lawn and pruning the roses.

Interesting to note

The Romans considered rosé a drink only for rich people! Rosé is generally produced to be consumed fresh, and this drink-it-now style made it something that needed to be served and enjoyed in a timely manner. Rosé, enjoyed without the benefit of long cellar times, symbolised cash flow.