Provence: 'I sampled the local wines while on holiday in Provence - here are the best ones to buy in the UK'

After travelling most of the day, this was such a welcome present it rapidly disappeared along with crusty bread and some charcuterie we had picked up at the local shop.

The next day, the rest of the family arrived - four more adults with our four noisy grandchildren and as they unpacked, jumped in the pool and generally caused chaos in our beautiful holiday home, the two of us headed off to the local supermarket to stock up with provisions.

This was one of the big supermarkets that France does so well, and on a huge display was the largest selection of Provence rosé wines I have seen, including the local rosé wine Mas Sainte Berthe that had been left by our host.

I stocked up a whole collection of wines including several of the big wine names such as AIX, Ch. De Berne, Miraval and others and also added a couple of bottles of Mas Ste. Berthe, because it had tasted so good the previous evening.

Over the next few days, the six adults manged to get through a remarkable amount of wine, and we compared tasting notes.

While the familiar names were very enjoyable, but despite, or maybe because of its affordable price, its instant charm, the fact that it is organic or maybe because it comes from a vineyard down the road, the local wine won most votes.

The downside is that, because it is not exported, we won’t be able to enjoy it once we leave this region.

This is a classic holiday dilemma. It often happens that your favourite holiday wine is not available when you get home.

Many small producers don’t need to export their wines because they can sell all they make to local shops, restaurants and tourists. Also, the sheer amount of paperwork involved in exporting, especially since Brexit, is too onerous for small producers.

If you are travelling by car, you can easily load up with your favourite wine, but those travelling by low-cost airlines will probably just have to remember the taste of their favourite wines. Anyway, holiday wines never taste quite the same once the holiday sunshine has gone.

Meanwhile, from my vantage point, mainly by a pool in Provence, glass in hand, I have been unravelling the different appellations and styles of rosé wines produced in this gorgeous region.

Provence is surprisingly large, stretching across plains, rocky outcrops and even significant hills from the outskirts of Arles in the west, almost to Cannes in the east.

With its delightful villages and winding roads, it seems to be made up of a patchwork of small artisan vineyards, but this region has 30,000 hectares of vines, which is about the same size as the whole of Burgundy, producing around 150 million bottles of wine, 90% of which is rosé.

The region sub-divides into three main areas, with Côtes de Provence as the largest in the east of Provence, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence in the west and Coteaux Varois en Provence in the centre of the region.

There are other small sub-region names which also may appear on UK shelves.

Each area has its own soil, microclimate and style, but overall, the wines of Provence are light, fresh and dry with a characteristic pale pink colour which seems to have been copied by every rosé wine in the world.

The flavour is distinct with strawberry and raspberry fruits, a clear thread of acidity and the best wines have a texture that can cope with anything from a simple salad to grilled fish with olives and herbs or even a range of barbecued meats.

Provence rosé is the perfect summer wine.

As for the weather, that is obvious from the number of tourists here.

The sun shines around 250 days of the year and summers are hot but there is a constant light breeze, certainly here in the west of the region, in Les-Baux-de-Provence where even in the middle of the day, the heat is bearable because of the cooling breeze coming off the high rocky hillsides.

Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah are the main grapes grown, with a local variety Tibouren occasionally in the blend to add aroma and texture.

Organic viticulture is very popular here, mainly because the constant breeze and lack of summer rainfall keeps the disease pressure low. Even if some vineyards are not totally organic, there is a high sustainability factor across the whole region.

With the taste of so many wines still fresh in my mind, here is a list of our family favourites, ranked in order of flavour for money.

All of these are available in the UK, but for the best choice, just jump on the next flight to Marseille, Montpellier or Nice and work through the region. Bring a sunhat - you will need it.

M de Minuty 2024, Côtes de Provence, Bon Coeur Fine Wines, down from £19.50 to £14.50 while stocks last: From a lovely estate on the Saint-Tropez peninsular nestled between land and sea. The magic ingredient to this usual Provence blend is 5% Tibouren grapes, that adds just a touch of herbal notes to the summer fruit flavours, pink grapefruit and a crisp finish.

AIX 2024, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence, Majestic £15.50 on a mix six deal: Delicious strawberry, peach and raspberry notes, with a hint of wild herbs balanced by taut, fresh acidity. Pronounce the name as ‘aches’ – as in aches and pains.

Miraval 2024, Côtes de Provence, Majestic £17 on a mix six deal: From the Brangelina property, where the wine has always been made by the Perrin family. A lovely creamy, fruit-filled rounded wine, perfect with dinner.

Ch. de Berne ‘Inspiration’ 2024, Côtes de Provence, Ocado £19: Distinctive in its square-cut, almost perfume-like bottle this Provence wine is soft, elegant with wild strawberry notes.

Ste. Marguerite 2024, Les Fantastiques, Cru Classé Côtes de Provence, Hic! £40: This is the wine that impressed me earlier this year, and at the French supermarket price of just 21 Euros it was terrific, but at the UK price of £40 it really struggles against the rest.