Kylie Minogue is the latest celebrity winemaker making her own rosé

"I have a great passion for rosé and have loved working for the last two years on developing Kylie Minogue Wines. We have created a rosé that I am truly enamoured by, it is fresh, light and the perfect pink.”

Most new celebrity wines are given a grand launch, perhaps even with an appearance of the celeb themselves, but the lockdown regulations meant that Kylie had to keep things at a lower key. Even so, I was delighted to find a bottle on my doorstep, and it really is rather good.

As one of the world’s top performing artists, Kylie has a busy lifestyle, but she has found time to put some of her creative talent into making the new wine, which was launched on her birthday, May 28. Now it is on the shelves and online at Tesco at the very reasonable price of £9.

Made from a blend of Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine comes from Southern France and is fashionably pale and delicate in colour, with an aroma of white blossom and summer berries and a crisp, fresh, dry palate. Perfect for drinking on its own, it will also go with all kinds of summer foods, from prawns and grilled fish to charcuterie and salads.

As you might expect from someone so elegant, the taste and presentation of the wine is also stylish and I can imagine this being the preferred bottle to pour at summer parties and weddings. Just chill it down for around an hour and twist off the pearlescent screw cap and your party will be doing the Locomotion in no time at all.

Summer is the perfect time to crack open a bottle of rosé and with our unpredictable weather you need to have several in the fridge to catch the moment when the sun shines. Don’t forget to dunk the bottles in an ice bucket when you take them outside, and keep them out of direct sunlight. Half-fill glasses and top up regularly.

Here are some more rosé suggestions.

Mirabeau Rosé Prêt à Porter, Waitrose, £3.49: Perfect for picnics in the park, this wine-in-a-can is easy to chill and carry, and it is completely recyclable. Containing 250ml, which is the same as a third of a bottle, there is enough for two to share.

Pierre Jaurant Languedoc Rosé 2019, France, Aldi, £5.99: A great value Southern French Rosé with Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, providing robust red berry flavours and enough structure to take on a barbecue.

Ramon Bilbao Rioja Rosado, Garnacha 2019, Co-op, £8: With the colour of faded ballet shoes, you might think this is a lightweight rosé, but it isn’t. Serious and substantial, this has weight and creamy red fruit flavours, and absolutely no oak. Team with grilled fish.

The Ned Rosé 2019, Marlborough, New Zealand, Majestic, £8.49 on mix-six: Deeper in colour than most, this is a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris and it gathers summer berry fruits and watermelon flavours together with a rounded texture and a long, lingering finish. Great with light summer foods but if the weather turns cloudy, take it indoors and match with rare beef or cheese.

Château de Berne Provence Rosé 2018, France, Waitrose, down from £13.49 to £9.99 until June 30: This looks so elegant in its square-cut, almost perfume-like bottle that everyone will want to try the wine. It is full of soft wild strawberry flavours with just a hint of herbs. The 2019 should be arriving soon, so rattle the bottles to find the latest vintage.

Jardin de Roses 2019, Languedoc, France, Jean-Claude Mas, Waitrose, down from £13.49 to £9.99 until June 30: From one of the most important winemakers in the Languedoc, this has the correct delicate shade of pink but it manages a bit more flavour than most rosés. There are strawberries and other red fruits in the mix of tastes, with a savoury, food-friendly background and an edge of pithy texture that will happily sit alongside a plate of lamb steaks and sausages.

Studio by Miraval Rosé 2019, IGP Méditerranée, France, 13%, Co-op, down from £12 to £11 until June 23: Made from a whole bunch of Southern French grapes, this is silky and delicious with refreshing flavours of redcurrants, raspberries and nectarines. It is made by the same team who produce the more expensive Miraval, using grapes from a wider area.

Mirabeau Classic 2019, Côtes de Provence Rosé, Waitrose, £11.99: This was one of the first of the new 2019 vintage wines to arrive, and it is full of bright strawberry and redcurrant fruit with a fresh-tasting citrus finish. Dry and elegant, pour alongside salads and salmon.

AIX 2019, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence, Bon Coeur Fine Wines, Melsonby, £13.99: “Summer in a glass” is how Jamie Goodhart, of Bon Coeur, describes this wine and I have to agree. It comes from the famous Maison Saint Aix, situated on a plateau 420 metres above sea level, where Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault grapes are grown. The wine captures the scent of wild herbs with notes of wild strawberries, watermelon and flowers.

Whispering Angel 2019, Côtes de Provence, Roberts & Speight, Beverley, £17.99: Ever since Whispering Angel was poured at a long, languid, summer wedding in France, I have loved this wine. It tastes of summer sunshine with slightly dusty, wild strawberry fruit and it has the power and freshness to last all through a sunny afternoon. If you buy by the dozen the price comes down to £16.19.

Ch. Miraval 2019, Côtes de Provence, France, Majestic, £17.99 on a mix-six deal: With Brad and Angelina behind this Provence rosé, it was bound to be a success and even though they are no longer together, the quality of the wine has remained high. This is probably because the Perrin family, famous for Ch. Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and their excellent range of Rhône wines, have been looking after the winemaking. Ch. Miraval is elegant in style with generous peach and raspberry fruit, and a fresh, crisp finish.

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