Best pink wines
Our wine expert Tim Atkin gets bold and fruity with his recommended rosés
Whether you call them pink, rosato, rosado, blush or rosé, such wines have become year-round tipples.
1 2007 Altosur Malbec Rosé, Mendoza (£6.99, or two for £5.99 each, Majestic)
Argentina is not the first place you'd consider as a source of great rosés, but this brilliantly ambitious Malbec is the real deal, with its cherry and damson fruit, and crisp acidity. As a style, it's daringly dry.
2 2006 Asda Extra Special Languedoc Rosé (£4.62, Asda)
Made entirely from Syrah, the grape that has had such a huge qualitative impact on the distinctly traditional Languedoc over the last decade, this is a fruity, juicy, strawberryish rosé wine with just a nip of tannin.
3 2007 Tesco Finest Navarra Rosé (£5.99)
Navarra is the pink wine capital of Spain, using old vine Garnacha (Grenache) to excellent effect. This bright, flavoursome, just off-dry rosado is packed with vibrant cherry and rosehip fruit. It looks great too.
4 2007 Secano Pinot Noir Rosé, Leyda Valley (£6.99, Marks & Spencer)
This is sourced from Chile's up-and-coming Leyda Valley, where the coastal influence produces wines of considerable elegance. This is verging on being a red wine, but its subtle red fruit flavours are deliciously complex.
5 2007 de Grendel Rosé, Tijgerberg (£7.99, Oddbins)
De Grendel is one of the emerging stars in South Africa. This full-bodied style is made from the local grape, Pinotage, but it doesn't show any of the variety's rubbery notes. Bright and juicy with cherry and blackcurrant.
6 2006 Sancerre par Emmanuelle Mellot (£11.99, Sainsbury's)
Not the cheapest rosé on the market by a long way (you are paying a little extra for the Sancerre name here), but this ambitious, all Pinot Noir pink is elegant, complex and bone-dry. This is a rosé to sit and ponder rather than glug.
7 2007 Torres San Medin Cabernet Sauvignon Rose, (£6.49, Waitrose)
You can really taste the famous cassis and green pepper notes of Cabernet Sauvignon in this deeply coloured rosado from Torres' Chilean outpost. Structured enough for you to serve at a barbecue.
8 Ravelli Prosecco Raboso (£7.69, Tesco)
Most Prosecco is white rather than pink, but the addition of 49% Raboso is what provides the colour here. This is grapey and slightly sweet, but has plenty of frothy, wild strawberry flavours and fine bubbles.
Don't know what to pair these delicious wines with? Look through our selection of recipes, especially the herb and barbeque recipes. Or you can ask for advice on our Food Forum for ideas
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