Summer has finally arrived so here are some top rosés to enjoy in the sunshine

I’ve been sizing up my garden for a swimming pool. It won’t happen of course, but when the sun shines and with most holiday destinations off-limits and many UK hotspots overbooked and highly priced, it does occur to me that a home swimming pool would be a great idea.
Rosé wines are perfect by the pool.Rosé wines are perfect by the pool.
Rosé wines are perfect by the pool.

By the time the daydream ends, I have measured the space, checked it out for direct sun, ignored the realities of cost, maintenance and British weather and I am already selecting the wines to have in my hand as I laze beside my own spa facility.

Then reality kicks in, so I am left with just a list of wines, and of course they have to be rosé. In case you do have a swish pool in the garden or even just a blow-up paddling pool lurking at the back of the shed, here is my selection of the best rosés to drink while sitting next to it – sun-lounger optional.

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Dealuri Romanian Rosé 2020, Aldi £4.99: Terrific value in this strawberry-packed wine that has an edge of sweetness but ends totally dry. Team with spiced chicken kebabs.

Winemaker Gérard Bertrand makes excellent rosé.Winemaker Gérard Bertrand makes excellent rosé.
Winemaker Gérard Bertrand makes excellent rosé.

Beefsteak Club Malbec Rosé 2020 Mendoza, Argentina, Waitrose, down from £8.99 to £6.69 until June 22: Sometimes a rosé needs to have power and this one does. The Malbec fruit comes through in colour and flavour with cherry, raspberry and even a touch of plum which makes this one to team with lamb cooked to just the perfect shade of pink.

Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose 2020, Coteaux de Béziers, Waitrose, down from £9.39 to £6.99 until June 22: Sophie Valrose was a 19th century vineyard worker who stood up for women’s rights, and I am sure she would have liked this wine. Pale in colour, dry and delicate in flavour, it has wild strawberry fruit and a textured, elegant finish.

Specially Selected Toscana IGT Organic Rosé 2020, Aldi, £6.99: Packaged in a pretty reeded bottle, this is Sangiovese from Tuscany, and it has the typical cherry and raspberry fruit, with a light, crisp, citrus finish.

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Bruce Jack Sauvignon Blush 2020, South Africa, Sainsbury’s, £7 : Yet another great value wine from Bruce Jack. Crisp and zesty with gentle red fruits and a squeeze of nectarine juice.

Wairau Cove Rosé 2020, New Zealand, Tesco, £7: Pale, delicate and packed with strawberry-scented Pinot Noir fruit. This is a bargain bottle of wine.

Found Vinho Verde Rosé 2020, Portugal, Marks & Spencer, £7: Rosé is an unusual colour for Vinho Verde, but this carries it off with ease. Deep pink with a tingle of spritz, definite strawberry and raspberry fruit and a squeeze of lime on the finish.

Extra Special Marlborough Sauvignon Blush 2020, Asda, £7.50: This is a classic crisp, zesty, herbaceous Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc with just a tiny splash of Pinot Noir to add strawberry fruit and food-friendly depth. Delicious.

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The Best Touraine Rosé 2020, Loire, France, Morrisons, £7.75: Positive cherry and redcurrant fruit with just an edge of sweetness make this one to sip on its own in sunshine.

Domaine de la Ferrandière Grenache Gris 2020, York Wines, £8.49: From Jean-Claude Mas, this has red cherry fruit, with a crisp, breezy minerally finish.

Specially Selected English Rosé 2020, Aldi, £8.99: Forty per centt Pinot Noir gives this wine depth and red fruit flavours while the mix of aromatic grapes add character and zest. Perfect for a picnic.

Quintessence Méditerranée 2020, France, Marks & Spencer, £9: The curvy bottle looks very Mediterranean, and the wine is packed with sunshine fruits such as nectarines, pink grapefruit and redcurrants. Dry, fresh and delicious.

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Finest Côtes de Provence Rosé 2020, France, Tesco, £9: Eight Mediterranean grape varieties combine to give a wine with slightly deeper colour than many others, but there’s more flavour too. Strawberries, cherries and enough weight to cope with fish, chicken and lightly spiced dishes.

La Terrasse Rosé Pays d’Oc 2020, Jean-Claude Mas, France, Sainsbury’s, £10: Glass-stoppered and very elegant, this is a lowly Vin de Pays, but it is full of summer scents and flavours.

The Pale by Sacha Lichine 2020 Pays d’Oc, France, Waitrose, down from £13.99 to £10.99 until June 22: With his Whispering Angel, Sacha Lichine revived sales of French rosé wine on a worldwide scale. Now he has launched the Pale which comes from the Vin de Pays region of Var, and is made with all the same dedication and expertise. Dry, elegant, precise and long. Another success in the making?

Gérard Bertrand “Cote des Roses” 2020, Languedoc, France, Majestic, down from £12.99 to £10.99 on a mix- six deal: Stylishly presented in a bottle that has a rose embossed on its base, this has gentle strawberry and redcurrant fruit with a long, fresh finish.

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Albia Rosé 2019 Ricasoli, Toscana, Italy, Roberts & Speight, Beverley, down from £12.99 to £10.99: Sangiovese with just a splash of Merlot gives strawberry and blackcurrant aromas with fresh-tasting summer pudding flavours and enough structure to handle salmon or a creamy pasta lunch.

Simpsons English Rosé 2020, Majestic £14.99, down to £11.99 on a mix-six deal: Charles and Ruth Simpson have been making rosé wine in southern France for many years, and now they are back in the UK and have established a new estate on the slopes of the North Downs in Kent. With 100 per cent Pinot Noir grapes, this has a delicate pink colour with lime and grapefruit flavours edged with red berries.

Mirabeau Pure 2020 Côtes de Provence, Majestic, £16.99, down to £11.99 on a mix-six deal: Probably my favourite in the Mirabeau range, this is mainly Grenache with just a splash of Syrah and Cinsault, all harvested at night to keep temperatures down and flavours fresh. Fashionably pale in colour, it has peachy, strawberry fruit with a thread of citrus running across the palate. Perfect for a summer lunch.

Kylie Minogue Rosé Côtes de Provence, France, Morrisons, £20: Expensive but a glass of “Kylie” will definitely get a party started, especially if you play the right songs. Elegant, dry with watermelon, pink grapefruit and a sprinkle of herbs adding to gentle red fruit flavours.