Top Sparkling Rosé Under £15

With its delicate effervescence and elegant fruits, Sparkling Rosé is a divine creation, but it can be difficult to find a top-notch bottle. Luckily, we’re here to help. Aren’t we nice?

There’s no need to break the bank with bubbly Rosé, because these amazing Rosés all come in at under £13. We’ve got sweeter strawberry and cream concoctions, refreshing citric creations and everything in-between, so let’s dive into pink paradise.

Martini Prosecco Rosé Extra Dry

This ticks all the boxes for a sweeter sparkling wine with plenty of crisp soft bubbles. Expect succulent strawberry in a starring role, supported by peach and raspberry. Refreshing and fresh, it’s a tip-top dry Rosé for the money.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 11.5%
Find here: £6

Canti Rose Extra Dry

Another Glera (Prosecco) and Pinot Noir blend, this expression brings the orchards hints of the former, and the subtle red ripe fruits of the latter. It delivers sweet, juicy, crowd-pleasing fizz that everyone will love. There’s a slight hint of cream lingering at the end too. Nom.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 10.5%
Find here: £7

Gratien & Meyer Crémant De Loire Brut Rosé

Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet France all come together for this elegant bottle. The bubbles are light and fluffy, the feeling is crisp and dry, and the biscuity hints intertwine wonderfully with aromatic strawberry. A good kick of acid makes it tremendous with food too.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 12%
Find here: £12.50

ASDA Extra Special Prosecco Rosé Brut

If you’re drawn to Rosé with a little tang, then you’ll love this. It’s lovely and light, not overly dry and brimming with sweet strawberry. It feels clean and summery, and really nicely balanced between the sweet berries and pink grapefruit tang. Solid.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 11%
Find here: £8 (Buy 3 Save 25%)

Freixenet Italian Sparkling Rosé

What’s not to like with this? Inside the signature glamorous bottle is a delicate blend of Glera and Pinot Noir, delivering fine effervescence. Flowery, crisp apples, luscious red berries – it’s got lovely depth of flavour with a food-friendly lightness.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 11%
Find here: £9 (usually £12)

La Gioiosa Rosea Brut

This is a very nice Italian sparkler indeed. Lovely and light, its red fruits, citrus and orchard fruits are refreshing and delicately poised rather than ripe and sweet. The soft and bubbly mouthfeel is really moreish and overall, it’s a very precise and harmonious expression.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 11%
Find here: £10

Mirabeau La Folie Sparkling Rosé

The stars have aligned with this one it seems, because it’s currently on offer at loads of supermarkets. We love Mirabeau, and this is a benchmark Provençal pink – crisp, refreshing, and dry. Mango, passion fruit and lime support a gorgeous strawberry note, and it’s one of those smooth and elegant bottles that will win over the Rosé doubters.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 11.5%
Find here: £11 (usually more!)

Bartenura Sparkling Moscato Rosé

The sweet nose may draw you to check the alcohol in this Italian fizz, and at 7%, it is indeed sweet – but not at all in a cloying way. Cherry, elderflower, honeysuckle, lemon zest and sweet cream combine for divine expression. There is enough acidity slicing through to remain fresh though, which is what makes this Rosé so appealing.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 7%
Find here: £12.95 (with Nectar)

If you’re after some other drinks for Valentine’s Day, then we’ve got 8 great cocktails that scream ‘I Love You’ here, and yes, it’s fine to treat yourself to one!

Elevate Your Dry January Experience with These 8 Alcohol Free Wines

More and more drinkers are doing Dry January, and the alternatives out there are better than they have ever been. Having said that, there are still plenty of No-Low drinks that will fool you into thinking they’re all just as dreary and nothing-y as that one was – particularly when it comes to wine.

Nonetheless, just as there are many underwhelming wines, there are some absolute gems at the other end of the spectrum. These wines are not in the business of compromise. And for well under £10, they’re also incredible value. In fact, they’re appealing enough to make Dry January a breeze.

The Best Non-Alcohol Rosé Wine

Not Guilty Alcohol Free Rosé Wine

This fun bottle doesn’t make the cardinal sin of being too sweet, which is something that seems to ruin some alcohol-free Rosés. There are subtle red berry flavours, tartness, and an alluring lightness that makes for relaxed easy drinking. It really is wonderful value for the runner up at the 2023 World Alcohol-Free Awards.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 0%
Find here: £4.50 (usually more!)

The Best Non-Alcohol Sparkling Rosé Wine

Oddbird Sparkling Rosé

If you’ve been into No-Lo wines for a while, then chances are you’ve heard of Oddbird. Their reputation for quality really does precede them, and they’re also making great strides towards sustainability. Their fizzing Rosé displays superb balance, blended from Chardonnay and aged Languedoc-Roussillon Pinot Noir. Gorgeous strawberries come through with lots of freshness, and the dry tang makes sure all that fruity sweetness doesn’t go overboard. If you’re missing Rosé over Dry Jan, then this is a must try.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 0%
Find here: £9.99

Kylie Minogue Sparkling Rosé Alcohol Free

This pink beauty is another hit for Kylie, delivering a harmonious balance of florality and juicy red fruits that linger longer than you’d expect. The fizz is gentle but lively and overall, it feels like really well made, light and refreshing Rosé. Great value too.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 0%
Find here: £6 (£4.50 Clubcard Price)

Thomson & Scott Skinny Noughty Organic Alcohol Free Sparkling Rosé

The entire Noughty range focuses on skipping over not only those unnatural inclusions, but also unnecessary sugars, meaning each glass has so few calories and feels clean. The grapes from southern Spain and give a seriously seductive shade of pink. The bubbles are there, the balance of acidity and sweetness is there, and the red berries share the lead role with the juicy grape flavour itself.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 0%
Find here: £9.50

The Best Non-Alcohol Sparkling Wine

McGuigan Zero Sparkling

As one of the biggest names in Australian wine, McGuigan have a robust choice in their Zero range these days. Thanks to their state-of-the-art tech, they’re able to remove all the alcohol from these bottles at lower temperatures than usual, retaining even more of the winey goodness. This fizz has an appealing dry bite, with sweetness comparable to Prosecco. Orchard fruits come through with a hit of a refreshment too. For pennies, it is tremendous.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 0%
Find here: £3£3.5050 (usually more!)

Freixenet 0.0 Alcohol Free Sparkling

Freixenet’s fizzy offering retains the character of the wine, avoiding the cloying sweetness that so many rivals fall prey to. The fruity nose is very welcoming, yet the first sip is surprisingly dry. It’s not going to blow you away with a myriad of different flavours and depth, but there is a reason so many return to this as their No-Lo sparkler – it’s reliable, quaffable and fools a lot of people into thinking it has booze in it.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 0%                    
Find here: £4.75

La Gioiosa Alcohol Free Vegan Sparkling

This lovely looking Italian No-Lo fizz knocks it out the park for around a fiver. Think fine bubbles, and signature Giera accents of pear, peach and apple, alongside lovely floral notes. Fruity, easy-drinking wine that we’d recommend serving chilled for added refreshment. Solid.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 0%
Find here: £4.99

Vintense Fine White Bubbles

Vintense take things in an elegant direction here, capturing the special feel and sophistication of the sparkling wine experience. A fruity bouquet is accompanied by subtle lemon and sun-kissed peach on the palate. This would be delicious with fish, shellfish, oysters and salads too – very food-friendly.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 0%
Find here: £8.78

Something you might not have considered as an alternative to wine is sparkling teas. They’re flourishing right now, so give something new a go!

Great Value Supermarket Rosé to Enjoy This Summer All Under £10

We adore a pink escapade at The Three Drinkers, so we feel very well placed to recommend some of the affordable Rosé bottles on supermarket shelves (if we do say so ourselves!)

For under £10, it’s easy for Rosé picks to go wrong, but not with these. Scroll to find your local supermarket and see which Rosé bottle is providing serious bang for buck…

Chassaux Et- Fils Atlantique Rosé

Sail away to summer paradise with Chassaux Et-Fils Atlantique Rosé – a French coastal delight that's as refreshing as it is wallet-friendly. A sea of redcurrant and rhubarb scents await, with waves of ripe strawberries and a zesty, dry finish. If you like Whispering Angel, then this is a perfect cost cutting replacement.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 12%
Find here: £6.49 Aldi

Costières de Nîmes Rosé

Now for something with a little more substance to it from the Rhône Valley. Crafted from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvédre, the personality is more savoury and richer, with darker fruits, savoury touches, herbal hints. If your usual is red wine then this is the Rosé for you.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 13%
Find here: £6.49 Lidl

Mirabeau Belle Année

Bringing the joie de vivre yet again is Mirabeau, with Belle Année, a glassful of Provence’s finest. Easy going dryness, crunchy red fruits, and vivid citrus whisk you away to the French sun, and with a distinct lack of sweetness, this is perfect alongside food. Top value.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 12.5%
Find here: £8 (usually more!) Ocado

The Hidden Sea Rosé

Not just a looker, but a marine superhero, it’s the beautifully bottled Hidden Sea Rosé. With every bottle, you're part of the rescue team, saving 10 plastic bottles from the ocean and so far they’ve saved tens of millions. With the gorgeous fruity ecstasy of strawberries and cream dancing on your senses, and cleansing zest refreshing with each sip, this is a delicious win win.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 12%
Find here: £7 (usually more!) ASDA

The Best Vinho Verde

The resurgent retro charm of Vinho Verde from Morrison’s The Best range here, with delightful raspberry sherbet vibes. Ripe, rich stone fruits and in particular sweet peach stand out amongst a backdrop of rose petal florality and sweet red berries. There is a mineral acidity that’s crisp and very welcome, getting the balance spot on.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 11.5%
Find here: £8.50 Morrisons

Silver Moki Sauvignon Blush

A Sauvignon Blanc grape Rosé presents us with something a little different, offering that crisp white feel and cutting citric acidity as well as the luscious peach and strawberry notes. The floral red berry notes that dominate most Rosé are subtle here, with that zesty freshness dominating a wine that feels like it should be more expensive. Try it before it is!

Size: 750ml
ABV: 12.5%
Find here: £8.25 Sainsbury’s

Maison Castel Rosé d’Anjou

Meet Maison Castel Rosé d’Anjou, a picturesque blend of pale pink and coral hues. Its red and citrus fruit explosion on the nose is a prelude to the fresh, aromatic palate, beautifully balanced with strawberry sweetness and refreshing dryness. It’s got summer night sipper written all over it and for under a tenner, you can’t go wrong.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 10.5%
Find here: £9 Tesco

If you want something bubblier, how about Prosecco? And if you’ve written it off in your head just reading it, then we insist you revisit it because it’s often misunderstood – see here!

8 Sparkling Wine Cocktails To Serve This Festive Season

You can’t beat adding some fizz and sparkle to festive proceedings with sparkling wine cocktails. They’re super simple to make, refreshing, delicious and they’re amazingly versatile when it comes with food pairings. From classics to more unusual concoctions, these are 8 of the best cocktails using various sparkling wines!

Negroni Sbagliato

Don’t be surprised if younger family members bring this cocktail up, because it went viral on TikTok recently after House of the Dragon star Emma D’Arcy announced her love for it. In short, it’s a Prosecco Negroni. This makes for a lighter Negroni, perfect if you’re not a big fan of the usual bitterness Negronis can have. An extra dry Prosecco like Giusti Rosalia works perfectly because the slight sweetness counteracts the spirits’ bitterness.

Ingredients
25ml Prosecco
25ml Campari
25ml sweet vermouth
orange slice (to garnish)

 Method
Pour the Campari and vermouth into a rocks glass and fill it with ice. Top up with Prosecco. Stir gently to chill and garnish with the orange slice. Voilà!

Mimosa

Any sparkling wine of your choice will do for a Mimosa, but we’ve gone for Cava. It’s the light and fresh option that’s perfect for pretty much any special occasion, and Christmas is no different! Just sparkling wine and orange juice here, so it’s perfect to ratio to your liking. If you’ve got a sparkling wine that you particularly love, go heavy on that! But if Nan’s on her 3rd Baileys before the turkey’s even out of the oven? Maybe it’s a good idea to up that OJ before handing her one.

Ingredients
100ml Cava
100ml orange juice 

Method
It’s just a case of combining the two in flutes here, so make sure you’ve got a sparkling wine that you love, and a good quality orange juice! It couldn’t be simpler.

Top Tip: Remember, chill everything to avoid using ice as this will kill off the bubbles!

Bellini

Famously easy to make, this a reliably refreshing Italian cocktail with only two ingredients – Prosecco and peach. It was supposedly named after Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini because the drink’s gorgeous colour reminded the Venetian bartender of Bellini’s warm colour palette!

Ingredients
60ml peach purée
160ml Prosecco
Peach slice (garnish)

Method
You can buy peach purée but unless you’re a Bellini lover, you probably won’t have it in the cupboard. All you have to do is blend some peeled peaches until smooth and refrigerate. When it’s time to serve, strain into a flute, top up with Prosecco and gently stir. If you’ve got a peach left, of course a slice as garnish tops it all off!

Kir Real

Crème de Cassis is a gorgeous blackcurrant liqueur from Dijon in France and topping it up with a sparkling white gives you the Kir cocktail, created in 19th century France. Using Champagne instead creates the Kir Royale, but we’ve gone for Spanish Cava to create a much better value Kir Real. It requires the same time-consuming method as Champagne, there’s just more of it about! But it’s far closer a Champagne than something like a Prosecco so works great for this. Bubbly bite with juicy fruity sweetness! Fit for a royal indeed.

Ingredients
1 tbsp crème de cassis
Cava
Blackberry (optional garnish) 

Method
Nice and simple. Pour your crème de cassis into a Champagne flute and top up with Cava! A fresh or frozen blackberry or lemon twist makes a great garnish.

Rosé Aperol Spritz

Aperol Spritz was created in Italy and is now officially Germany’s favourite cocktail. If you want to inject some summery feeling into your festive season, or maybe you’re somewhere sunny for Christmas, then this Rosé version is there for you. The passion fruit juice is ideal for bridging the gap between the subtle bitterness of the Aperol and the fruity wine. The result is a fruitier, more refined Spritz that’s a very drinkable switch up. Who says it's just for summer?

Ingredients
50ml Aperol
75ml rosé
30ml soda
30ml passion fruit juice
Lime wedge (garnish)

 Method
Pop one ice cube in your glass and combine the Aperol with rosé. Top up with soda and juice, stirring gently to avoid breaking up the fizz, and then garnish with a lime wedge! Enjoy!  

The Golden Dram

Scotch cocktails can often be thought to be dark and moody affairs, but this unusual pairing with sparkling wine changes that. Combined with an Angostura-soaked sugar cube, you create a unique and refreshing cocktail that’s probably not quite like anything you’ve tasted before.

Ingredients
Angostura bitters-soaked sugar cube
25ml Scotch
100ml Prosecco

 Method

Drop a single sugar cube into your Champagne flute and soak with a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then add Scotch before topping up to the top with Prosecco! Stir lightly to slowly dissolve the sugar and you’re all set.

Top Tip: If you like your cocktails sweeter, soak the sugar cube in a teaspoon of honey too!

Black Velvet

Legend goes that the Black Velvet was thought up by a London steward as Britain mourned the death of Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert in 1861. Whether that’s true or not, it certainly looks the part. Traditionally, it uses Champagne, but we’re using this opportunity to shout out Crémant. It’s a sparkling wine made using the same method as Champagne, and although it was once looked down upon, the current crop of Crémant producers have upped their game and it massively punches above its price point! You can find decent bottles for under £10, and still pull together a delightful Black Velvet that blends the bitter richness of Guinness, with the fizzing lightness of the wine.

Ingredients
100ml Guinness
100ml Crémant

 Method
Super simple apart from a drop of bartending technique. Fill half a Champagne flute with your crémant, and top up the rest with Guinness, pouring over the back of a spoon to achieve beautiful layering.

Rosé Bowler

This is an adaption of the Champagne bowler that dates back to the 1930s, but we’re going all out on the strawberries using rosé instead. The trio of grapes with brandy, dry white, and rosé provide a really interesting foundation for the muddled strawberries, and the good thing about this is, if you’ve picked up some berries that aren’t as sweet as you’d like, the rosé picks up the slack.

Ingredients
3 chopped strawberries
20ml brandy (preferably Cognac)
30ml dry white wine (like Chardonnay)
60ml rosé
Dash of syrup (optional)

 Method
Chop 3 strawberries and muddle them well in a shaker. Add your brandy, white wine and ice and shake well. Pour into your glass (without straining) and top up with Rosé.

Top Tip: We know winter strawberries can be a bit hit and miss, so if it’s still not sweet enough just re-introduce the syrup from the original Champagne recipe!

If you’re in the process of planning your Christmas offerings, then make sure to complete your set up with some Boozy Crackers that look stunning and taste delicious inside (the drinks inside that is, not the cracker itself).

And if you’re looking for the perfect Prosecco to make the above, take a look at our Best Proseccos for Under £15 here!

Words by Calum Ecroyd

4 Great Rosé Wines for Winter

Words by Helena Nicklin

I have always been a huge fan of pink wine in Winter and have frequently served them with roasts and full-on Christmas meals. Why? They are just so versatile. Quite often too, you don’t want heavy reds at lunchtime but you might want something with a little more oomph than a crisp white. Not all pinks are the same however. For food, you’ll want a rosé with complexity and texture rather than a simple fruit bomb. Here are four styles of pink wines to whet your whistle this festive season. 

Provence

Your fail safe go-to region for winter pinks is Provence. While they’re pale and very pretty, the special soils and climates by the sea give these wines salinity and texture. There’s huge complexity of flavour too in a non-shouty way. What you may not realise however is that there are three sub regions for Provencal Pinks: AOC Côtes de Provence, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence and AOC Coteaux Varois en Provence. In Winter and for food, my slight preference is for wines from the Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence because of their pronounced minerality, freshness and complexity compared to the other two sub regions. Try: 

Château Barbebelle, Rosé Fleuri, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence

Ballet-shoe pink and with golden tints, this is a zippy, fruity Provencal pink with a pleasing bitter, kick. Think apricot, peach and strawberry with a cool saline tang. It’s fruit salad in a glass!  

Find it at Randalls for £9.99

Etna

Nerello Mascalese grapes grown on bush vines in the volcanic soils of Sicily’s Mount Etna make for unique, interesting and delicious wines. Again, texture and saline minerality is key here along with delicate notes of red berry. Try: 

Etna Rosato, Tenuta del Terre Nere, 2019

Supremely elegant but multi-layered and textural, this is a beautiful, textural yet vibrant pink with subtle notes of red plum and cherry. A gorgeous winter pink and a great food wine, especially with fleshy fish dishes. 

Find it at Justerini & Brooks for £11.25

England

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that England is smashing it for Classic method bubbles at the moment. What I’m personally loving in some of the sparkling rosé wines at the moment is a quintessentially English note of hawthorn or rosehip among the wild strawberry and hedgerow. With lots of flavour and good acidity, this is an ideal style for smoked salmon or cold cuts and can take turkey and the trimmings too. Try this:

Digby Fine English, Leander Pink, Brut NV

Medium pink in colour with the crunchy red fruit notes mentioned above, while technically dry, there is a slight sweetness on the finish to this wine, which means it could also take dishes heavy on the salt or even, a slight hot spice. 

Find it at Armit Wines for £33

Bag-in-Box

If ease, sustainability, value for money and space saving are the order of the day as we approach a time when - dare I write it - we may be able to socialise with other humans, finding a decent bag-in-box pink will save the day. Try:

Phillip Schofield Rosato IGT Verona

Philip Schofield has just released a perky little pink for your tasting pleasure in partnership with When in Rome wine. Quite different from the wines above, this one is aromatic and sappy, with very ripe strawberry fruit and a crushed raspberry tang. Very easy going and a great aperitif wine that will take you into your starters. 

Find (2.25L) for £25.99 from wheninromewine.com


If you are more of a fan of red wine then check out Aidy’s must-try Zinfandels and don’t forget to check out orange wine too!

3 Wines for Romantic Moments

Words by Helena Nicklin

As the sun returns, we’re feeling the love! I spoke to Kevin O’Sullivan on talkRADIO recently about the best kinds of wines for romantic times. My thoughts turned to three styles of wines that can take you from day to evening and each choice with a little story to tell. Enjoy…

Rosé Wine - Jardin de Roses

Outdoor dating is big this summer and the perfect pink will see you through from daytime to evening. Relaxed but sophisticated, think fresh flowers, crisp, linen tablecloths, outdoor scented candles and a fruity, floral bottle of rosé chilling in a silver ice bucket. For this, you’ll want a rosé wine that looks as good as it tastes. We love this pale and elegant looking pink from Languedoc in the South of France. Made with 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache, it has a little more peachy fruit than those from its Provençal neighbours and a lovely, rose petal nose. This one, with its uniquely patterned bottle, translates as ‘bed of roses’ and it comes in six labels, each with an image of different species of rose. Beautiful - and it gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘bouquet’...

Find Jardin de Roses, £13.49 at Waitrose.

Red Wine - Thistledown, Thorny Devil Old Vine Grenache

Light the candles, put the roses in water and snuggle up with a Grenache. If Pinot Noir is the ‘heartbreak grape’, then Grenache is the grape of romance, making wines that are smooth and velvety, with notes of wild strawberry, fig and warm spice. It’s an easy style to love without too much of those astringent tannins and lots of fruit. Grenache from old vines is particularly special as older vines yield fewer grapes and have deeper roots, which means what grows has a gorgeous concentration of flavour and complexity. Try one from the ultimate home of old vine Grenache (aka Garnacha): the region of Cariñena in Spain or one from its spiritual home in Barossa, Australia.

Find Thorny Devil Old Vine Grenache, £15.99 at Virgin Wines

Fizz - Ambriel Rosé 2014

We couldn’t talk about romantic wine without mentioning something sparkling, but how about something other than the standard Champagne? Popping the cork on an English sparkling wine shows that you’ve put a little more thought into your drinks choice. Make it a gorgeous, pale pink little number like this elegant fizz from Ambriel in Sussex. It’s made in exactly the same way as Champagne using 100% Pinot Noir (also one of the Champagne grapes) and has a beautiful perfume of red apple and rose with a quintessentially English, redcurrant crunch. Corney and Barrow describe it as ‘the perfect English rosé with its classic bone structure and cut glass accent’ and we could not agree more. This is an English wine producer to watch!

Find Ambriel Rosé 2014, £28.95 at Corneyandbarrow.com.

Like this? See these other wine guides: 5 new drinks products for socially distanced gatherings, English Wines to Rival Champagne, What You Should Be Drinking With Curry.

3 Styles of French Rosé You Can Rely On

The sun’s out and we’re still in lockdown, so let’s do this properly! Cue some beautiful pink wine that will make us dream of French holidays we’re not taking. How do you know what you’re going to get, though? Styles of rosé wine can vary enormously, even from the same region, so it’s genuinely hard to know. Fear not however, there are some styles that tend to stay the same. Whether you like it pale and dry, juicy and pink or savoury and practically red, here are three French styles to look for that you can rely on, told through the lens of dance because… #LockdownMadness

The Ballerina

Style: Pale and dry

Look for: Côtes de Provence

If this rosé had a dance, it would be ballet: pale pink, elegant and delicate to look at, but capable of powerful, complex twists and turns. If you like your pink wine creamy, weighty and dry with a saline tang and just a whisper of fruit, you can’t go far wrong if you look for ‘Côtes de Provence’ on the label. Provence is the only French wine region where there’s a classification dedicated to premium rosé wine and the world is now trying to emulate this classic style of pink. Grapes used are often a blend of Grenache and Cinsault, sometimes with a splash of Rolle, Syrah and others. Try these...

Bargain: Château de Rouet Provence Rosé, 2018, £8.50 (50cl), Coop

Mid-range: Château de Berne, Côtes de Provence, 2018, £13.99 mixed six price, Majestic.

Blow-out: Ultimate Provence Rosé 2018, £26.83, winebuyers.com

The Tango Dancer

Style: Dark and savoury

Look for: Tavel, Rhone Valley.

Dark and dramatic, with high kicks of wild strawberry fruit amongst the savoury notes of grilled meat, this wine’s dance is the Tango. Often almost red, with a grippiness you can get your teeth into, these are well-structured wines, perfect for a barbecue and great at any time of year.  Tavel is an appellation (dedicated wine growing area) in Southern Rhone Valley in France, not a million miles from the more famous Châteauneuf du Pape. The difference is that Tavel is France’s only appellation dedicated solely to rosé wine. Grapes used traditionally are Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault and sometimes others. Look out for the distinctive bottle too! Try these…

Bargain: Tavel Rosé, 2018. £7.99, Lidl ( in store)

Mid range: Tavel Rosé, E. Guigal, 2019, £14, Vinatis

Blow out: Château de Manissy Organic Rosé, 2018, £16.95, Amathus

The 80’s Disco Queen

Style: Bright and candied

Look for: Rosé D’Anjou

Just like throwing those shapes on the dance floor to Wham and other cheesy 80’s hits, Rosé d’Anjou can be a bit of a guilty pleasure. Hailing from Anjou in France's western Loire Valley, these pinks are vibrant in colour and sweeter than many other rosé styles, bar some Californian white zinfandels (if you like those, try this). It’s not sugary sweet, but very fruity, like strawberry sweets. Serve them well chilled in the sun with some cold cuts or mildly spiced snacks like chilli nuts or Bombay mix. The main grape for this sweeter style is Grolleau Noir, often blended with Gamay and Cabernet Franc. Try these...

Bargain: Champteloup Rosé d’Anjou, £6.29 on offer, Waitrose

Mid range: Domaine des Cedres, Rosé d’Anjou, 2018, £10.58, Corkingwines.com

By Helena Nicklin

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Meet the Godfathers of Provençal rosé: Domaines Ott

If you’re a wine drinker, unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will have noticed a surge in the amount of rosé wine on our shelves over the past few years. What has also changed however, is who is doing the drinking. Gone are the days of a female only audience who like a sweet style in hot pink because it’s pretty, it’s girly and it’s summertime. Real men now drink pink - and all year round, it turns out. In a sea of pale and dark rosé wines, some sweet, some dry, where no one seems to know what they’re getting, there’s one key region that’s leading the way for its consistency, quality and charm: Provence, France.

Provençal rosé is famously pale and dry, with a creamy weight and complexity that belies its powder pink looks. It’s a style you can rely on and one that goes with everything from media launches and film premieres on the beach in Cannes, to intricate food matches at the finest dining establishments in mid-winter. Provençal pinks are not just wine; they are a lifestyle, one that once back home in Blighty, has us heading to the nearest wine shop to seek out the names that will bring summer back into our lives again: Mirabeau, Chêne Bleu, Aix, Whispering Angel and of course, the grandfather of them all, Domaines Ott. But it wasn’t always this way.

Côtes de Provence is the only French appellation dedicated purely to high quality, fine pink wines and it owes its name and success to one man with a vision: Marcel Ott. Marcel and his wife moved Provence from Alsace in 1896 after a grand wine tour of the country. The vine louse that destroyed many of Europe’s vines at the time had wreaked havoc in Provence, but Marcel fell in love with the area. Land was cheap, so they stayed and planted vines again, only this time, with different grapes: Sémillon and Vermentino for white wines and Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah for the pinks and reds. The estate built a reputation quite quickly for fine, textural white wines. There were pink wines in the region then, but much darker and sweeter than those we know now. Wanting something a little different, something more weighty and dry, a bit like the Alsace wines he was used to, Marcel pioneered a new style of pale, dry rosé. He sold it alongside his famous whites as a serious pink, where it quickly developed its own reputation as a boutique wine available only to those in the know. The question of moving again came up again - they were practically giving away land in North Africa – but Marcel’s wife put her foot down. She wasn’t going anywhere. The Ott’s stayed and the appellation as we now know it, began to flourish.

This pale and dry style of pink, with its trademark creaminess and weight from lees stirring and skin contact, was not the only thing Marcel and his family did for the region and its wines. They were responsible for the creation of the whole Côtes de Provence appellation. That’s some legacy! And not only this, but if you’ve ever noticed how a lot of Provençal pinks have unusual shaped bottles, that was The Ott family too: René Ott pioneered the first ‘skittle’ bottle shape in 1926, which many châteaux in the area have since emulated, though they are never allowed to be exactly the same as Ott.

Try a taste of the original Provence

Domaines Ott owns three estates: Clos Mireille and Château de Selle in the Côtes de Provence appellation and Château Romassan in Bandol AOC, each making distinctive wines in their own styles.

Château de Selle in Taradeau, near Draguignan, was the first estate that Marcel bought in 1912 and produces pink and red wines. Clos Mireille came next in 1936 and was originally famous for its ‘blanc de blancs’ white wines until it started also producing rosé in 2006. The terroir at Mireille is extraordinary for its microclimate and location right by the sea. Airborne salt from the settles on the skins of the grapes and the soil, which help to give it their characteristic saline tang.

Château Romassan is the newest estate acquired in 1956 and is located within the Bandol AOC area. Mourvedre is the key grape in this appellation, which Jean-Francois Ott describes deliciously as ‘the bad boy of wine grapes: meaty, gamey, a bit crazy. A party animal!’ Rosé from here is a little beefier, a little more structured and the reds pack a might punch.

Want to taste the wines? Head to Château de Selle where you can try them all – and totally for free. When I asked them why they don’t charge for tastings, I was told: “We say to our staff, ‘don’t worry about selling. Pour, let them taste. They’ll buy some anyway!’” They buy so much in fact that each visitor is limited to twelve bottles of each.

What to eat with Ott wines?

There’s a real confidence in the product at Ott. They know their wines are good and trust me, they really are. The pinks and whites are not just about summer sipping immediately after their release either; they can age. We tried a 2014 rosé which had developed an incredible texture and licorice spice. These are gastronomic wines that are incredibly versatile with food and work all year round. I personally love the pinks at Christmas when red feels to heavy at lunchtime as they’re awesome with turkey and all the trimmings. Other matches for the whites and rosés we tried include tagines and ceviche, but they can also take mild curry sauces, ground coriander, sushi and roast chicken. The reds are powerful, so great with stews and steaks. The Bandol also makes a fabulous, slightly surprising match for dark chocolate cake and red fruit salads.

So, with or without food, at Christmas or by the beach, picnic or fine dining, pink from Provence is a style you can rely on and once you’ve tried Ott, you’ll n’Ott go back.

Where to find Ott wines:

Clos Mireille Rosé 2017 RRP £37 from Oddbins or £33.95 from Slurp.co.uk

Clos Mireille Blanc de Blancs 2011 £29.95 from Fortnum & Mason

Château Romassan Rosé, Bandol 2016 £35 (£31.50 mix 6 price)

Château de Selle ‘Coeur de Grain’ Rosé 2017 £310 for 12 at Millesima

This piece was originally written for Savile Row Style Magazine in July 2018

By Helena Nicklin