The Ten Best: Rosé wines

1. Bollinger La Grande Année, £90

Once it was sneered at by the cognoscenti, but now it is no longer naff, and pink champers is the bright young things' bottle of choice. Here's one of the very best on offer, luxuriously packaged for opening on very special occasions only, like those A-level results.

Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods and Waitrose

2. Campo Viejo 2005, £4.99

There are many good Spanish rosadas around for summer drinking and four of the best are on this page. This reliable, crisp, rosada is from the Rioja region, with enough big flavours to handle boisterous Spanish dishes, like arroz con pollo or spicy fish stews.

Asda, Thresher

3. Torres DeCasta 2005, £5.49

Made from a blend of the local Garnacha and Carinena grapes, this is another excellent Spanish pink, with its pale colour hiding a surprisingly full mouthful, which is more dry than fruity. An excellent wine with which to complement traditional tapas dishes like grilled squid or marinated anchovies.

Sainsbury's

4. Fish Hoek Western Cape, £5.99

Rosé wines used to be simply a Mediterranean matter. Even South Africa is now getting on the rosé bandwagon and this nicely balanced blend of cabernet sauvignon, pinotage and shiraz grapes from the Cape region is a great example of the kind of winning wines they can now produce. Stylish bottle design, too.

Oddbins

5. Bougrier Rosé d'Anjou 2005, £4.99

This is a fine example of the traditional, light-in-alcohol, easy-drinking French rosé. A light and fragrant, blush-coloured wine, made in the Loire from the Gamay and Grolleau grapes, this is the ideal bottle with which to partner summer picnic salads or cold salmon.

Oddbins

6. Château de Caraguilhes 2004, £7.59

An organic Appellation Controllée rosé from Corbières, this is made from a grenache and syrah blend. Full-flavoured, dry but with just enough fruity undertones, this is a mouthful of sunshine from the south of France. Excellent with spicy-based Mediterranean dishes or goats cheese.

Waitrose

7. One Tree Hawkes Bay, £8.99

This is a typical New World rosé, made mainly from the merlot grape, but with touches of cabernet sauvignon and syrah. Bursting with summer berry flavours and a distinctive smooth finish characteristic of Kiwi rosés. Strawberries and cream in a bottle. Like many New World rosés, it has a high ABV: 13.5 per cent.

Waitrose

8. Gotas de Plata, £6.99

At the other end of the pink and sparkling spectrum from the Bollinger (No 1), this rosada is from the La Mancha region of central Spain. Made from the Airen grape variety, it is, according to Adnams, the perfect cork- popper for summer parties. And who would disagree?

Adnams

9. Casillero del Diablo, £5.99

Dry but fruity shiraz rose from an ultra- reliable Chilian producer Concha Y Toro, with a touch of spice balancing those characteristic berry flavours. Just about the perfect rosé for those beach barbecues, but also ideal as an aperitif.

Majestic (20 per cent discount on two or more), Sainsburys

10. Bodega Pirineos 2004, £6.50

Another excellent full-bodied rosada from Spain, this one the product of a prestige winery, close to the foothills of the Pyrenees and made from the merlot and cabernet sauvignon grapes. This and the Gotas de Plata can be bought as part of Adnam's excellent summer rosé selection of a dozen bottles for £73.

Adnams