Have you noticed the amount of space your local supermarket devotes to rosé these days? And the increasingly wide range of colours, from the faintest whisper of pink to deep magenta? Rosé, which now accounts for just over one in 10 of the wines we buy, is no longer one single style.
The big trend, which shows no sign of slowing, is for pale dry Provençal rosés. I judged swathes of them for the Decanter World Wine Awards back in April. These are wines you’ll like if you’re basically a white wine drinker, but they don’t tend to come cheap. The Château la Tour de l’Evêque Pétale de Rose Côtes de Provence 2014 (13.5% abv), which won an international trophy – a rare achievement for a rosé – is worth seeking out (£15.95, Corney & Barrow) or try the more widely available, and very posh-looking, Chateau d’Esclans Whispering Angel 2014 (13% abv), which is normally £14.45, but is on offer from today for £12.74 at vineyardsdirect.com; it’s £14.95 at Robersons and £16.99 (why?) at Waitrose. On the other hand, that store has a perfectly serviceable own-label Provence Rosé (12.5% abv) for £8.99.
Darker rosés are less fashionable, but may appeal more if you’re a red wine drinker, or looking for a rosé to drink with a barbecue. Malbec rosés, as you’d expect, are beefier; Aldi has a good Argentinian Rosé Malbec (13% abv) for just £5.99 under its Exquisite Collection label. Rioja rosados tend to be full-bodied, too: the rich, savoury Muga Rosado (13% abv) is a favourite of mine, and is £7.99 if you buy two or more from Majestic, or £9.99 from Waitrose.
If you’re into rosé, it’s worth buying from a merchant who takes the genre seriously. Yapp Brothers in Wiltshire is one such, and two of the best rosés I’ve tasted this year come from them: Château Roubaud’s intensely savoury Costières de Nîmes Rosé 2014 (£11.75; 13.5% abv) would stand up to all kinds of punchy flavours (Yapp matches it with aïoli and merguez); and the fragrant Château la Canorgue 2014 Côtes du Luberon Rosé (£13.95; 12.5% abv), another Provençal number, but more exotic than the general run of rosés from the region. (The blend includes mourvèdre, which makes some of the most interesting rosés, and is also available in magnum.)
And if you’re a bit of a rosé wine geek, you’ll love Triebaumer’s Rosé of Blaufrankisch Reserve 2014 (£12 Alpine Wines; 12% abv), which is made from one of Austria’s best red wine grapes. It has a really pretty, floral edge and is, dare I say it, even more appealing than Provence rosé.
