Rosé in Stockport
Forget the idea that rosé is a holiday drink. These are serious pink wines from serious growers: organic fruit, gentle pressing, pale and bone-dry or deeper and fruit-driven. They handle food properly and drink well all year, whatever the Stockport weather is doing. Everything below is on the shelf at the stall now, and most of it disappears by late summer, so don't sit on a decision too long.
IGP Pays d'Hérault, France
■ Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah
Pale peachy pink, a Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah blend from the Serin family's Hérault vineyards. Redcurrant, strawberry and white peach with a citrus edge, dry and crisp with vibrant acidity and a refreshing finish. Certified organic since 2009.
France
■ Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah
A gastronomic Southern Rhône rosé made using the gentle 'rosé de presse' method. Rosehip, wild berries and cherry with ripe, balanced acidity.
Ourém, Portugal
■ Moreto, Aragonez
Strawberry-pink rosé from the Vinha da Malhada plot at Ourém, on the limestone hills at the northern end of the Lisboa region. Crushed and fermented in steel with no skin contact, so the colour comes off the press alone — bone dry, intensely fruity, fresh red berries and a medium finish. Certified organic with Ecocert-Portugal, as the whole estate has been since 1997.
Manchuela DO, Spain
■ Bobal
Pale strawberry-pink rosé from old-vine Bobal in the Cabriel Valley, Manchuela. Ripe strawberry and red fruit on the nose, fresh and intense on the palate with good acidity and a dry, easy-drinking finish. Certified organic.
Portugal
■ Vinhão, Loureiro (red and white grapes co-fermented)
Palhete is an ancient Portuguese tradition: red and white grapes fermented together to create something between a deep rosé and a light red. Juicy, refreshing and fascinatingly complex. Organic.
Alicante, Spain
■ Monastrell (Mourvèdre)
Monastrell gives rosé real substance — this is dry, flavoursome and far from insipid. Strawberry, wild herbs and a pleasingly savoury finish. Great with tapas or grilled fish.
Corbières, France
■ Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault
A classic pale Provence-style rosé from one of the Languedoc's finest estates. Delicate strawberry, white peach and citrus with a bone-dry finish. Elegant and refreshing — brilliant price.
Sicily, Italy
■ Nerello Mascalese
Pale salmon pink with delicate red fruit, citrus and a fine saline lift. This is refined, dry and deeply food-friendly rosato from one of Sicily's most thoughtful minimal-intervention growers.