WITH temperatures set to sizzle this weekend it can only mean one thing — it’s time to drink pink!
A glass of Rosé plonk is the sunshine tipple of choice for many, with sales continuing to rise year on year.
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And plush blush doesn’t need to break the bank.
Wine expert Helena Nicklin, from thethreedrinkers.com, rates the best under £10 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 bottle from South America is definitely a Rosé!
We would normally find this grape in its traditional chocolatey, red wine guise but it actually also makes a decent drop as a pink.
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More textured than some others thanks to the thicker grape skin tannins on the Malbec, this appealing Argentinian pour is a foodie vino with notes of dark red berries.
It would be fabulous to enjoy a BBQ 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 Provence.
And when you get it right, they are excellent value for money comparatively too.
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This vino being stocked at Tesco this summer certainly looks the part and hits the sweet spot between great gluggability and elegant, pale and dry.
With notes of fresh strawberry and just-ripe stone-fruit, this is one for enjoying light lunches, salads, fresh fish and seafood.
THE HIDDEN SEA ROSÉ
Sainsbury’s £6 down from £8, 75cl
★★★☆☆
More than just a pretty bottle, this strawberry-scented, sustainable sipper saves the waters by removing the equivalent of 10 x 500ml plastic bottles from the sea for every single bottle sold.
An Aussie melting pot of red and white grapes including Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Viognier, the result is as easy-going as a down-under barbie in the backyard.
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Full-on and fruit-forward, it’s great all-rounder pink to open for any occasion.
HOUSE PINOT GRIGIO BLUSH
Sainsbury’s, £13.50 for 2.25l (equiv £4.33 per 75cl)
★★★☆☆
If you’re having a party, you can’t go wrong with this banging box of blush booze which comes in at an equivalent price of just £4.33 a 75cl bottle volume, 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.
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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 gatherings.
ROSÉ d’ANJOU
M&S £7 down from £8.50, 75cl
★★★★☆
This classic, famously just-off-dry style of pink is coming back into fashion.
Super fruity and flirty but not overtly sugary, these rosé wines from Anjou in France’s Loire valley are always a bit of a guilty pleasure so it’s no wonder people are rediscovering them.
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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.
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Immensely refreshing and fruit forward, these are simple, session wines that can be pink or white.
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, savoury flavours and a moreish mouthfeel, then grab a glass of this gorgeous glugger.
Hailing from the very south of France’s Rhône Valley, this wine is more herbaceous and fuller-bodied than many other styles thanks to a large dollop of the brooding Syrah grape.
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Hugely versatile, you can drink this alone or it will take you through a whole meal.
For the incredible price, it’s hard to beat.
MADAME T ROSÉ
Sainsbury’s £7,50 down from £9, 75cl
★★★★★
This fabulous, flamboyantly fruity, French pink has been made in collaboration with Queer Britain (a charity working to create the UK’s first LGBTQ+ museum) and represents human diversity in all its glory.
A blend of soft Grenache and structured Syrah, it’s loud and proud as a style but with substance behind it.
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A top summer tipple to snap up and glug when the sun is out – for a superb price.
