Rosé wine

This delicately coloured pale pink wine is made by Mark Perrin, who also makes Brad and Angelina's famous, and much more expensive, Provençal rosé at Château Miraval.

The inviting floral nose of this blushing beauty offers hints of aniseed and watermelon too, with summer fruits—red apples, strawberry, cherry—on the palate. There's no need to have food with this easy-going and ever so slightly romantic wine, but it does go very well with picnic food, tapas, or a buffet.

Judged top rosé in Irish Times staff tasting with John Wilson, it would make a great alternative to 'red or white' for your next function or get-together.

‘“Smells really fruity, and is a bit more robust, has a bit more body than your usual rosé”, said one taster. This was the most popular of all the wines tasted. Medium bodied, with plenty of ripe but tangy cherry fruits.’
(From the Irish Times magazine, June, 2012)

‘Tried and trusted southern Rhône pink, with masses of light, fruity, yet lip-smacking red berry verve.’

Jane MacQuitty, The Times, 26th May 2018

A richly coloured, not shy Catalonian rosé made from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, Toni Garriga's rosat combines fresh berry fruit aromas with the depth and power of its Bordeaux blend of grape varieties. This is a perfect rosé—you could almost think of it as a light red—to drink on its own, preferably in the sun, or as an accompaniment to salads or tapas.

Mas Codina is located in the Alt Penedès, Catalonia, and is protected by two benevolent mountain ranges. All the fruit it uses is estate-grown.

The Penedès region spans a long strip of land between the sea and the mountains, half-way between Barcelona and Tarragona.

The DO is made up of three distinct zones: The Penedès Superior (near the inland mountain range), The Penedès Marítim (between the sea and the coastal hills) and Penedès Central (the plain between these areas). The climate is typically Mediterranean, mild and warm.

Penedès has long been associated with innovative winemaking practices. In the 1970s, it became the first area in Spain to use stainless steel equipment and cold-fermentation. Since then the Penedès producers have been making excellent modern wines blending native with French varieties.

Vibrant pink colour, with a strikingly complex constitution and rich aromas of red fruits. Sumptuous flavours of strawberry liqueur, framboise, and flowers. Dry, balanced, and long—a rosé wine for the enthusiast as well as a simple pleasure for the rest of us.

"This is a rosé where the natural texture and exuberant aromatics are compelling"
Robert Parker

Enjoy as an aperitif, with grilled prawns or salmon, or turn a sandwich into a banquet.

Mas de Bressades uses the saignée method to produce its rosé: pink wine can be produced as a by-product of red wine fermentation; when a winemaker wants to give a red wine more tannin and colour, a portion of the pink juice is drawn off from the must at an early stage and the remaining red wine is concentrated as a result of this 'bleeding'. The pink juice removed can be fermented separately to make high-quality rosé.

This is a deliciously fresh and appetizing rosé, made from Nero d'Avola grapes picked a week or so before the harvest for Purato's red wine. The early picking means just a tinge more acidity, to keep the fruit flavours in the wine bright and focused.

The Purato brand has delivered great wines for more than ten years, at the same time as meeting rigorous environmental standards. The wines are organic, with the IT- BIO certification on every bottle, while the packaging, from bottles to shipping cartons, is as recycled and recyclable as possible. That's why the winery describe these as wines ‘with a conscience’.

This vibrant and complex rosé from the high-altitude hills of Rioja Alta offers aromas of cherries and wild strawberries coupled with flavours of redcurrant, pomegranate and dry herb notes.

On the palate, the wine is structured with ripe tangy red fruit and soft tannins, finishing with spice and dried herbs.

Snap up a bottle and try it with salmon, sushi—or fish and chips.

Dry but rather luscious Rhône rosé, blended from vines that are on average at least forty years old to give a robust wine with raspberry and strawberry aromas, and a clean, well-balanced palate. Its full, fruity flavours make it a satisfying appetizer or a tasty partner for spicy foods, cold meats, cheeses like Camembert and Brie, and even fruit- or chocolate-based desserts.

This prestige bottle from Château Jouclary is a rosé that in looks and contents can give Provence a run for its money.

The ethereal blush of this appellation-level wine is perfectly complemented on the nose and palate by a heavenly cocktail of ripe red berry and peach fruit freshness with a hint of citrus and a crisp, precise finish.

Although it's a perfect summer wine and one to be seen with, it's also a luxurious table wine for light dishes such as charcuterie, quiches or smoked salmon.

Bright, light-bodied and mineral, this is a strawberry-scented but dry rosé from the Vinho Verde DOC, with flavours reminiscent of grapefruit and, again, a hint of red berries.

Is it an orange wine? Well, there's no denying the luminous pale amber colour—a change from the more familiar shades of pink. But it's most definitely a rosé, made from the red Espadeiro grape of northern Portugal; it's not one of those slightly tawny white wines, made with skin and even stem contact, to which the name 'orange' is sometimes given.

This makes a great start to a meal with its mouthwatering acidity and crisp, clean finish.

With a modest abv it's an attractive choice for light meals and picnics, and its vibrant golden colour is likely to prove a talking point. Orange, not 'orange'.

Pale, crystalline dry rosé with delicate floral and red fruit aromas, and a youthful blush that catches the light with shades of violet.

In the mouth it's crisp and a little firm, almost saline, at first—refreshing—and then the ripe Garnacha fruit fills out into an elegant succulence. 

This is an understated treat on its own, and a great accompaniment to light meals and snacks.