Pretty pink wines for bad black times

And now today, I’m all set to become unbearably effusive about the manifold virtues of a splash of pink for World Rose Day (Friday, June 25, tipplers, mark it in your diaries). To top it all off, I turn 17 for the 42nd time this Monday, June 21. Ah Time, you’re no friend of mine.

To make matters even worse, this year my beloved wife, the enigmatic Madame G., has abandoned me so as to attend to some urgent family affairs abroad. So I must face the dreaded annual changing of the number above my door alone. Or almost alone. I’ll be putting in plenty of practice for World Rose Day out on the patio at my lovely home, Rose Cottage, with a most delightful companion, today’s Wine of the Week, the delicate, dry, brick-red 2019 Tavel Rose (£8.99, Lidl). Although it’s unmistakably a rose, it has all the weight, depth of colour, complexity and structure that one associates with classic French reds. With pronounced minerality and hints of tannin to balance the tangy red berry and forest fruit flavours, this is a serious drop which will go nicely with the chorizo, chickpea and butternut squash stew which I will probably be eating till she comes home, what with the pot being so big and me having no-one else to share it with.

It’s just one of an excellent selection of rose wines which Lidl have in store to help you celebrate World Rose Day. Their standard New World rose, the easy-drinking Cimarosa Californian Zinfandel (reduced to £3.18 from £4.24 on June 25) is perhaps not one for the aficionados but is nonetheless a very pleasant pink which is perfect for casual drinking and represents excellent value at its reduced price. Connoisseurs comme moi may prefer to shell out a little extra for the crisp, fruity, thoroughly refreshing and upbeat Grande Selone Rosato D’Italia (£6.99, Lidl). Teeming with bright redcurrant, raspberry and strawberry flavours this is, to quote what my very eloquent Madame said on her way out the door, “a vibrantly aromatic, veritable mouthful of summer in a glass, a bientot, mon cher, Raymond!”

Lovers of white, you have not been forgotten. From M&S, the elegant, intriguing and mineral-rich 2020 M&S Classics Gavi (£8) is a versatile wine, ideal for seafood or salads. Made from Cortese, perhaps Piemonte’s finest white grape, this smooth, citrussy and impressively tart drop is just one of an impressive range of popular wines at affordable prices- M&S Classics.

Last of all I turn to you, my true kindred spirits, the ones who prefer reds. Such as my beautiful, red-headed Madame. She’ll be home soon, won’t she? Till then, today’s final recommendation, the light-bodied, youthful and satisfyingly savoury 2020 Society’s Chilean Pinot Noir (£8.95, The Wine Society, visit www.thewinesociety.com or telephone 01438-741177). A bright, lubricious palate is dominated by ripe cherry and summer berry flavours which are nicely countered by gentle tannins and backnotes of cinnamon and clove. One to enjoy chilled with lean meat or poultry.

Yes, time sure flies. Except when it doesn’t. When you’re all alone. Just you, Charlton the dog, Albert the stray cat we adopted, and a drop of wine. All of us looking at the sky, praying for a plane. Tempus fugit but will the planes? Till next week, tipplers, sante!

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