I tried these rosé wines and these are the bottles I’d buy again for summer (aff)

There’s something about summer that makes me just want to sit in the garden and drink rosé wine all weekend. But finding the right one can be difficult. This year, I tried a few rosés at different price points to figure out which ones make summer entertaining easier and which bottles I’d happily buy again depending on the occasion.

If you want a rosé that’s affordable enough to open midweek without thinking twice, this is the bottle I kept coming back to. Paparuda Rosé £8.49 manages to avoid the biggest problem cheaper rosés often have: tasting thin or overly sugary. Instead, it’s crisp, refreshing and properly balanced, with strawberry, raspberry and red apple flavours that feel bright without becoming sickly.

What I liked most is how versatile it felt. I tried it with sushi one evening, grilled salmon another night and even simple summer salads, and it worked every time without overpowering the food.

If you normally reach straight for Provence rosé in summer, this is the bottle I think is worth trying instead. Pasqua’s 11 Minutes £17.50 has that pale colour and elegant style people usually look for in southern French rosé, but it feels a little more interesting once you actually start drinking it. There’s delicate floral character, crisp berry fruit and a subtle spice note that gives it more texture than many similarly priced Provence bottles.

This was probably the easiest bottle to imagine serving when friends come over because it instantly feels polished without trying too hard. It works as an aperitif, but also holds up well with food, particularly lighter Mediterranean dishes or sharing plates.

This is the bottle I’d buy when the goal is making summer hosting feel effortless. Champagne Palmer & Co Rosé Solera instantly feels celebratory without becoming flashy, and it’s one of those sparkling rosés that people continue talking about after the first glass.

I tried this during a weekend gathering and it solved a problem I always notice when entertaining: finding one bottle that works across the entire evening. It was elegant enough for arrival drinks but still interesting enough to carry through dinner.

If I had to keep just one bottle stocked in the fridge all season, it would probably be the Paparuda Rosé purely because of the price and it works with almost anything.

Natalie Dixon is our Lifestyle reporter, if you liked this article and want to read more about fashion, beauty and lifestyle you can follow Natalie Dixon on X here.

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