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Once, rosé was strictly for the summer holidays – but these days, as soon as the spring blossom erupts, discerning drinkers indulge in a pale pink tipple.
As for which wine middle-class connoisseurs reach for? Until recently it was invariably a £20 bottle of Whispering Angel, the label that helped to kickstart the rosé boom.
This light, crisp Cotes de Provence, from a chateau that's now owned by luxury mega-conglomerate LVMH, held pride of place in all the smartest wine fridges. Dry and crisp, with flavours of grapefruit and berries, it was adored by A-listers including Adele, Reese Witherspoon and the Beckhams.
But this year, wine experts agree, Whispering Angel has been toppled from its throne, with some calling it 'naff' and 'passé'.
In its place, a cool new breed of pink wines with street cred and flavour profiles to match are to be found on supermarket shelves – most for a lot less than £20.
In their sleek, Instagram-able bottles, made from unusual grape blends and in rainbow hues of pinks and peaches, they represent the start of a rosé counter-revolution.
At Waitrose, sales of pink wine are up 25 per cent on last year, while the latest gone‑viral bottle from Marks & Spencer sparked a frenzy of online comments from shoppers eager to give it a try.
SARAH RAINEY samples the best high-end supermarket offerings…
Once, rosé was strictly for the summer holidays – but these days, as soon as the spring blossom erupts, discerning drinkers indulge in a pale pink tipple
PINK WITH A HINT OF ORANGE
A unique hybrid of rosé and orange wine, this classy-looking French export is made from both white and red grapes left in their skins. And it has been flying off the shelves.
TASTES LIKE: Quince, orange and sour cherries. The amber hue gives it a punchier flavour than Whispering Angel – this is a much fresher, tarter take. An upmarket wine for a reasonable price. 5/5
A BOLDER ROSE
Made from Pinot Noir grapes, this rosé hails from Lombardy in Italy. The dark-skinned grapes give it a deep-red hue and it smells mouthwateringly good.
TASTES LIKE: Peaches, cherries and raspberries; it's positively bursting with juicy fruit. Delicious and refreshing without being too sweet. 4/5
WHISPER IT – THIS TASTES FAMILIAR
Launched last month amid much fanfare, this organic rosé from M&S comes from Julie Rouffignac and Gérald Lafont, a wine-making couple with an eye for top-notch vines across Provence. Experts have compared it to Whispering Angel.
TASTES LIKE: A sun-drenched holiday in the Mediterranean. Hints of ripe peaches, red berries and a delicate, herbal aftertaste. There is a lovely acidity that balances out the sweetness – and it is robust enough to drink with a Sunday lunch (unlike Whispering Angel). 4/5
SUBTLY PERFUMED
From the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece, this rosé wine from Waitrose's Loved & Found range is made from Moschofilero grapes, a heavily-perfumed variety which are grown at altitude and harvested late in the year to really accentuate their fragrant flavour.
It's from a family-run winery and comes in an eye-catching bottle that shows off its orange hue.
TASTES LIKE: Oranges, pink grapefruit and rose petals. The scent is strong but the flavour of this rosé is subtle and satisfying. 4/5
MINERALLY FINISH
Made from Grenache grapes, this is a light and elegant wine (below middle) from Provence, which smells like aromatic fruits and flowery perfume.
TASTES LIKE: Citrus fruits and ripe red berries, with a minerally – almost earthy – finish that lingers in the mouth. Unlike Whispering Angel, it stands up well against a chocolate dessert. A real stand-out rosé. 5/5
VIRAL SUMMER HIT
Pale, dry and exquisitely bottled, this rosé (near left) by Amie, a London-based business started by Will and Abbie Roden Sandbach, is made from Grenache grapes in the south of France.
TASTES LIKE: Crisp pear, apple and watermelon, with a delicate, berry-like flavour. Less floral on the finish than Whispering Angel, this is bound to be a summer hit. 5/5
BOLD AND SEDUCTIVE
This Provencal rosé is pale and subtle in colour but bold and zingy in flavour. It's described as 'seductive' by the makers and comes in an expensive-looking bottle.
TASTES LIKE: Nectarines, redcurrants and Turkish delight.
4/5 – Fruity and flavoursome, you'll love it if you like your rosé to linger on the tongue.
DELICATE AND DRY
With an aromatic blend of five grapes, this French rosé is dry and crisp. Made on the 'Beautiful Island' of Corsica, where the vineyards overlook the Mediterranean.
TASTES LIKE: Strawberries, apples and vanilla, with a spicy hint of peppercorns at the end – not as sweet as I'd imagined.
3/5 – Delicate and dry but a little too subtle for my palate.
HERBS AND BERRIES
This rosé is a new addition to the Co-op's premium own-label range and hails from the sunny vineyards of Friuli in north-eastern Italy. A blend of Pinot Grigio and Pinot Nero grapes, it's said to have hints of 'summer meadow' with a lingering savoury finish.
TASTES LIKE: I'm struggling to get 'meadow' but I do taste raspberries, strawberries and herbs such as rosemary and bay, which makes this dry rather than sweet.
3/5 – A rounded, mellow flavour but a little uninspiring compared to others.
A MOREISH MIRABEAU DUPE
This French rosé is made from a blend of classic grape varieties (Merlot, Cinsault, Caladoc and Carignan) and promises 'a complexity and elegance of flavour'.
The bottle looks like the pricier Mirabeau packaging, but at £6.50 it's a fraction of the cost (Mirabeau is nearer £20) – making it a deliciously-drinkable dupe.
TASTES LIKE: Red berries and redcurrants to start, but the flavour quickly fades to a very dry finish.
3/5 – A good 'party' wine: goes down easily and will please a crowd, but nothing special.
