Eight still and sparkling roses to toast your love this Valentine’s Day
Think pink and raise a glass to togetherness, says Sam Wylie-Harris
If you have a thirst for romance and you’re feeling amorous – or just love any excuse to flirt with something fun, fruity and fabulous – rose wines really hit the mark for Valentine’s Day celebrations. With their lipstick hues and happy vibes, why not let the blush in your glass match the blush on your cheeks when romance is on the cards?
These eight still and sparkling rose wines are all ripe for the picking:
1. Co-op Irresistible Prosecco Rose, Italy (£8.50, Co-op stores)
Pink prosecco took us by storm when it burst onto the sparkling wine scene last year, and this one’s beautifully poised with delicate floral notes, raspberry flavours, and plenty of freshness to keep you coming back for more.
2. Codorniu Rosado Brut NV, Spain (£9.49, Waitrose) Meanwhile, in the Spanish corner, this is another fun fizz to capture your heart with its strawberry aromas, delicious balance of fresh berry fruits, crispness and lovely dry finish. Delicious.
3. Langlois Chateau Cremant de Loire Rose Sparkling Wine, France (£14, The Champagne Company)
French fizz at its best, cremant is cited as the closest thing to champagne. With its soft, creamy mousse, aromas of ripe red fruits alongside a raspberries and cream profile and lingering silky finish, this one is elegant and refined, and certain to encourage the clink
of well-filled glasses!
4. AIX Rose Coteaux d’Aix en Provence 2020, France (£14.99, Virgin Wines)
With engaging notes of fresh red berries, framed by florals, nectarine and pink grapefruit, a ripe palate of summer fruits with flecks of orange peel and perfectly balanced acidity, this posh Provencal pink has bags of charm. No better way to say it with an ‘X’ ...
5. Pasqua 11 Minutes Rose 2020, Verona, Italy (£15, Harrods)
An Italian rose to stir the senses – with its eye-catching bellshaped bottle and pretty butterfly label – this floral, complex wine has hints of dried cherry, raspberry and savoury, spicy characters, alongside depth and elegance on the finish. Definitely worth seeking out.
6. L’Ormarins Method Cap Classique Rose, Western Cape, South Africa (£19.95, The Whisky Exchange)
South Africa likes to turn its hand to most styles, and this is a little cracker from the Cape. Full and fresh, with red berry and strawberry notes accented with touches of white pepper on the slightly tangy palate, it’s subtly fruity with an enticing quaffing character.
A very pretty wine, with attractive aromas of citrusy-edged raspberry and faintest hint of honey, red currant fruits come into play with a lovely vivacity as the wine glides effortlessly along. A brilliant example of an award-winning English rose to steal your heart, or theirs.
8. Drappier Rose Brut Champagne NV, France (£46, The Champagne Company)
Something rare and a bit special, this copper-coloured rose is made in the “saignee” method (meaning “bleeding”) by macerating red grapes – which sets it apart from the majority of pink champagnes, rose d’assemblage, a blend of red and white wines. The result here is a beautifully dry, expressive and generously fruity champagne, with seductive strawberry, cherry and raspberry notes and vibrant finish. If you’re a red wine lover or champagne connoisseur, these are definitely the pink bubbles for you! This is very special indeed.