ON THE GRAPEVINE

SAM WYLIE-HARRIS ON... STILL AND SPARKLING WINES IDEAL FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

EVEN if you don’t take rosé wines seriously, Valentine’s Day is surely the one day to ‘think pink’ and flirt with the prettiest palette on the wine list.

To help you embrace these sexy shades and bring something suitably fruity to the table this February 14, we’ve hand-picked some bottles ideal for Valentine’s Day...

1 BEAUJOLAIS ROSÉ 2018 France (£5.99, Aldi)

FLOWING with girly charm, this is fresh and lively, with delicate strawberry and raspberry aromas peeping through, there’s enough zesty fruit backed by fresh acidity to sink with smoked salmon and horseradish nibbles.

2 TASTE THE DIFFERENCE CREMANT DE LOIRE ROSÉ France (£11, Sainsbury’s)

SERIOUSLY delicious and stylish, this is a fantastic pink fizz from Saumur in the beautiful Loire Valley. Made in the same way as champagne but from cabernet franc grapes, it has plenty of oomph with lovely floral, fruity aromas and redcurrant notes. A very pretty pale pink, it has a peachy, creamy, red-fruited character with a fresh, elegant finish.

3 PAUL MAS JARDIN DE ROSES ROSÉ 2018, AOP LANGUEDOC France (£14.99, SohoWine.co.uk)

A STUNNING looking wine. Caped in studded glass with a single rose on the label, this latest addition to the Paul Mas library of wines is a corker. Brilliantly fragrant with a heady bouquet of blackberry, raspberry, cherry and violet notes, it’s silky smooth, with complex flavours of wild strawberries and ripe berry fruits with a graceful, flinty finish.

4 GRAHAM BECK THE RHONA ROSÉ NV South Africa (£15, Marks & Spencer)

ANOTHER little gem that looks the part and merits a silver medal from the International Wine Challenge (IWC) 2019, this champagne blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier hits all the right notes with its pretty salmon hue, beautifully fresh red fruits with hints of strawberry and red cherry, full, round finish and delightful quaffing character.