There is good rosé wine to be found beyond Provence | Alistair Gibson

It has almost single-handedly taken the whole rosé category from being a frivolous, summer flirtation to a wine that almost every other major wine-growing region, from Bordeaux to the Barossa, looks to make.

The sales of Provence rosé continue to climb – even, given the current situation, this is a wine style whose star continues to soar. But there is life outside of Provence and, more often than not, without the price tag.

Here are three rosés from elsewhere in Europe that are not just pale imitations.

Ricasoli ‘Albia’ Rosé 2019, Toscana (Waitrose £11.99) is produced by Barone Ricasoli, a family famous for its Chianti with a history dating back to the 12th century.

This is a blend of merlot and sangiovese but is made in quite a unique method.

The sangiovese is vinified as a white wine without any skin contact at all and then is blended into the merlot, which has been made as a classic rosé.

The result is a very pale rosé with a bouquet which almost smells like summer in a glass. There are red fruits, citrus, and scented flowers, followed by a fresh, crisp palate with more red fruits and crunchy acidity and a dry, clean finish.

I really like this, it makes a lovely aperitif but it would also work well with a summer dish such as a courgette and lemon pasta.

Ramón Bilbao Rosado 2019, Rioja (greatwine.co.uk £8.85 and discounted on a multi-buy deal) is another example of a pale rosé being produced in a region better known in the past for more powerful, darker rosé.

It has red currants, cherries, orange zest, lime, and a touch of spice on the nose.

The palate has more citrus, some cranberry and red cherry and a nicely-textured, dry finish.

Try this with white asparagus or a seafood paella.

Specially Selected Costières de Nîmes Rosé 2109 (Aldi £6.49) is a Provence look-a-like and offers great value for money and I think is my favourite wine in the current Aldi rosé line-up.

It’s a blend of grenache, syrah and cinsault. The bouquet offers ripe raspberry, peach, citrus and some dried herbs, followed by a dry, crisp palate with more raspberry and a little spice.

This would be lovely with some red mullet or perhaps a red pepper and lime couscous salad.

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