I’m a wine expert and I’ve tested all supermarket rosés from Aldi to M&S- and one £7.50 tipple beats them all
THE sun should have its hat on this weekend, which means it’s time to drink pink.
Rosé wine is the sunshine tipple of choice for many, with sales continuing to rise year on year, and a splash of plush blush need not cost a fortune.
Wine expert Helena Nicklin, from , tries a selection of bottles for under a tenner and marks each out of five . . .
BUENAS VIDES ARGENTIAN MALBEC ROSÉ
Aldi £5.79 down from £6.49, 75cl
★★★☆☆
I BET you looked twice at this label, but this Malbec from South America is definitely a rosé.
We would normally find the Malbec grape in its traditionally chocolatey, red wine guise but it actually also delivers a decent drop as a pink.
More textured than some other rosés, thanks to the thicker grape skin tannins on the Malbec, this appealing Argentinian pour is a foodies’ vino with sumptuous notes of dark-red berries.
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It would be fabulous to accompany a summer barbecue with grilled meat and smoky, charred veggies
ORIEL MEDITERRANEAN ROSÉ
Tesco, £7.50, 75cl
★★★★☆
SAY it quietly: Rosé wines from the Mediterranean are often more easy-going, and fruitier, than the prim and proper, super-saline pinks of France’s Provence region.
And when you get it right, they are excellent value for money.
This one, stocked at Tesco this summer, certainly looks the part and hits the sweet spot between great gluggability and elegant, pale and dry.
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With notes of fresh strawberry and just-ripe stone fruit, this is one for enjoying with light lunches, salads, fresh fish and seafood.
THE HIDDEN SEA ROSÉ
Sainsbury’s £6 down from £8, 75cl
★★★☆☆
MORE than just a pretty bottle – drink this and you will be helping to save our planet.
For every bottle that eco-friendly Aussie wine brand The Hidden Sea sells, it removes and recycles the equivalent of ten 500ml plastic bottles from oceans and rivers.
But with this strawberry-scented sipper you will also be treating yourself.
A mix of red and white grapes including Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Viognier, it is as easy-going as a barbie Down Under. Great all-rounder for any occasion.
HOUSE PINOT GRIGIO BLUSH
Sainsbury’s, £13.50 for 2.25l (equiv £4.33 per 75cl)
★★★☆☆
IF you’re planning on throwing a party, you can’t go wrong with this banging box of blush, which is such tasty value.
It comes in at an equivalent price of just £4.33 per 75cl, making it a real pound-stretcher plonk.
Punching well above its weight for the price tag, this ravishingly refreshing rosé is pale and pretty but beautifully balanced, with delicate red-fruit notes and a crisp mineral core.
A proper party crowd-pleaser that’s hard not to like and slips down almost too easily.
Perfect to store in the fridge for summer revels
ROSÉ d’ANJOU
M&S £7 down from £8.50, 75cl
★★★★☆
THIS classic, famously just-off-dry style of pink is coming right back into fashion.
Super-fruity and flirty but not overtly sugary, these rosé wines hailing from the Anjou region in France’s Loire valley are always a bit of a guilty pleasure.
So it’s no wonder people have been rediscovering them with such enthusiasm of late.
Pair a glass of this with salty snacks and cheeses, or anything with a bit of hot spice running through it, and you will be in for a treat.
It’ll make the extra sweet-ness in the glass shine, balancing everything nicely.
Pair a glass of this with salty snacks and cheeses or anything with a bit of hot spice running through it.
It’ll make the extra sweetness in the glass shine, balancing everything up beautifully.
THE BEST VINNO VERDE
Morrisons, £8, 75cl
★★★☆☆
MOVE over, wine spritzers, here’s another rocking, retro rosé that’s back and even better than before.
Hailing from the very north of Portugal, Vinho Verde wines are lighter libations in terms of body and booze, often with a gentle prickle of CO2 spritz to tickle the tongue.
Immensely refreshing and fruit-forward, these are simple session wines that can be pink or white.
Great to stock up on to delight family and friends.
This one, made from the indigenous Espadeiro grape, is all about tangy cranberry and vibrant raspberry fruit.
The perfect aperitif to sip outside in the sunshine.
COSTIERES de NIMES ROSÉ
Lidl £6.49, 75cl
★★★★★
IF you like a more substantial slurper, with darker, more savoury flavours and a moreish mouthful, then grab a glass of this gorgeous glugger.
It will not disappoint and is sure to put you in the mood for summer.
Hailing from the very south of France’s Rhône Valley, this wine is more herbaceous and fuller-bodied than many other styles.
That’s thanks to a large dollop of the brooding Syrah grape.
Hugely versatile, you can drink it alone or it will take you through a whole meal.
For the incredible price it’s hard to beat. Cheers.
MADAME T ROSÉ
Sainsbury’s £7,50 down from £9, 75cl
★★★★★
THIS fabulous, flamboyantly fruity French pink really has a whole load of ooh-la-la.
It has been made in collaboration with Queer Britain – a charity working to create the UK’s first LGBTQ+ museum.
And it truly represents human diversity in all its glory.
A blend of soft Grenache grape and structured Syrah, it is loud and proud as a style but with impressive substance to back this up.
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This bottle is a top summer tipple to snap up and glug when the sun comes out to play – and the price is superb too.
What’s not to like? Top marks, I reckon.