Summer pink wines: The best time to sip a rosé is in the sunshine and here's a handful of choices

Freixenet Rosado is a tasty pink from Spain and it was perfectly pretty alongside the early summer rhododendronsFreixenet Rosado is a tasty pink from Spain and it was perfectly pretty alongside the early summer rhododendrons
Freixenet Rosado is a tasty pink from Spain and it was perfectly pretty alongside the early summer rhododendrons
Pink wines can be found in many different shades and Jane Clare of One Foot in the Grapes explains why that it is.

I love the summertime glory of sipping a pink vino as the sun shines and all feels good with the world. Which is just as well as I’ve been doing a lot of it recently in the warm golden glow of an early evening after a day of homeworking.

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But there has been an educational, scientific reason why I’ve brought a touch of pink wine into my world.

Other than I like it, of course.

TV chef Simon Rimmer has collaborated with distillers Tappers to create a new gin, Tickled PinkTV chef Simon Rimmer has collaborated with distillers Tappers to create a new gin, Tickled Pink
TV chef Simon Rimmer has collaborated with distillers Tappers to create a new gin, Tickled Pink

This last weekend National Rosé Day was embraced by many retailers.

If you missed it, don’t fret as I’m told there’s another date for your diary in a couple of weeks … International Rosé Day on June 26.

I can’t keep up!

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However, whenever, and if ever, you want to mark one of these days then I’ll arm you with some pink wine facts.

Rosé wines can appear in all colours from a subtle pale, pale baby blush, through to a candied pink, or a salmon hue, or maybe an orange-y, onion skin colour.

You only have to look at the pinks section of a wine aisle to see the variations in colour.

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It’s like the colour options on a paint palette from a DIY manufacturer. Different nuances to suit your moods and to match your curtains.

Not that you’d choose a wine for the decor factor.

Why such a colour range? Well (almost all) pink wines begin life in the same way as red wines.

They are produced from black grape varieties which arrive at the winery proud of their colour and flavour credentials.

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What happens next is down to the winemaker and often the local wine laws.

Black grape skins bring the colour to a red wine. The juices are fermented on the skins. It’s the same in a rosé wine ... ah ... but ... in a pink the skins have limited contact with the grape juices. The length of time depends on the style and colour of rosé being created.

Go back and think about those wine shelves; the paler pink wines will have had less skin contact than the wines in a darker shade.

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There is an exception to this. Some sparkling wines (think champagne) are created by blending red and white wine; but in most of Europe that isn’t allowed.

Let’s pop over to sunny day pink choices.

Aldi’s Specially Selected Rosé d’Anjou (£6.99) is classily presented in a slick bottle and is bang on the money with citrus and red fruit flavours. I sipped with salmon steaks and asparagus.

Freixenet has a new range of Spanish still wines including Freixenet Rosado (RRP £9, online at Slurp and Ocado).

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The opaque bottle is lovely, and follows the tradition of Freixenet’s emphasis on eye-catching bottle design.

Just think of their statement black cava bottle Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava (£8 in Tesco, down from £11 until June 21).

Back to the rosado. It is made from the traditional Spanish variety, bobal. It delivers a strawberry flourish, tropical notes, citrus and white peach.

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The rosado has two sister wines in the new range, including a sauvignon blanc and the velvety soft Freixenet Rioja (same stockists and price).

Let’s bring a pop princess into this pink world. Nay, not any pop princess but the icon which is Kylie Minogue.

The 2020 vintage of Kylie Minogue Côte De Provence Rosé (RRP £20, Morrisons) is a blend of cinsault, grenache and syrah.

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The wine has summer sunshine aromas of peach, strawberry, honeysuckle and the tiniest dash of spice (the tiniest) to finish.

I popped a bottle of Adnams Fizz Rosé (£9.99, online at www.adnams.co.uk) to taste-test with friends and we ooooh-ed happily.

Adnams is known for its beer, but its also a wine merchant with some gems.

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It’s a pink from the Veneto region of Italy and is a crisp delight, oozing with red fruits and citrus. We loved it.

Pink gin

I’ll keep the pink vibe going and reflect on another belated celebration … I’m looking over my shoulder to a couple of days ago and World Gin Day.

There doesn’t need to be a reason to pour a gin in my household, so I’m not downhearted that I missed it.

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New gins are always popping up on our shelves and one to reach Booths’ stores has been endorsed by TV chef Simon Rimmer.

He has collaborated with distillers Tappers to create a new gin, Tickled Pink (£32).

Booths are offering a free online masterclass to Booths cardholders with Simon and Tappers on July 1.

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To qualify, people should scan their Booths card when they buy a bottle of Tappers Gin before June 23.

Jane Clare is a programme provider for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. For more details go to One Foot in the Grapes

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