The sun is out, long evenings stretch before us, and barbecues, picnics and garden parties await! No need to dig too deep to celebrate the good times coming – for less than €30 (£25 or $32) and without compromising on quality, sip Corsican rosés, Champagne, Spanish and Italian wine, and large format crowd-pleasers, ideal for sharing with the bons vivants in your life.
In the sunshine
Summer is almost upon us (or at least it feels like it in Paris) and that means only one thing… rosé season! Arrive to the party in style with a champagne rosé, we love the brut Léa cuvée from talented young Virginie Bergeronneau. For rosés made from more unusual grape varieties, go to Corsica to discover those of Clos Canarelli, Nicolas Mariotti Bindi and Comte Abbatucci. In Provence, fall in love with the exceptional work of Agnès Henry de La Tour du Bon, Tempier or even our favourite, made for ageing, from the Domaine de Terrebrune. Spain and Italy may surprise you with new names like La Universal (Catalonia) and Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Bolgheri). Don’t miss out on some of the hidden gems from Burgundy (Marsannay by Joseph Roty), Languedoc (Rosé Trémier by Alain Chabanon) and the Loire (rosé Sancerre by Delaporte, Boulay and Lucien Crochet, or the Vin de France from Nicolas Réau, Domaine des Pothiers and Bruno Dubois)
Crowd-pleasers
Is there anything better than a spending quality time with friends? Of course there is – spending quality time with friends in the sunshine! Time to break out the bubbles without breaking the bank with a French Crémant. It’s made in many French regions, using the same method as Champagne. Opt for a Burgundy (Crémant de Bourgogne Sainte Geneviève from Les Vignes du Maynes) a Savoy crément (Les Perles du Mont Blanc from Belluard), the South-West (Gaillac Mauzac from Domaine de Plageoles), the Loire (Billes de Quartz from Jérôme Brétaudeau) and the Rhône (Les Bulles d’Alain from Alain Voge).
Pair your fresh and light seasonal dishes with beautiful whites. Our favourites? Clos Floridène and Esprit de Chevalier in Bordeaux, the Muscat of the Corsican producer Giudicelli, the Cyclades wines of Vassaltis Nassitis and the Vinho Verde of Quinta do Ameal Escolha.
For red wine lovers, faithful companions of charcuterie boards or more animated conversations at the end of the evening, head for Beaujolais with Pierre Cotton’s Côtes-de-Brouilly and the Moulin-à-vent of Château des Jacques, Rioja with Benjamin Contador’s wines, Roussillon with those of Roc des Anges (IGP Côtes Catalanes) as well as the Maurys of Mas Amiel.
Sharing is caring
It’s always nice to be remembered as a generous host or guest! With our very pleasing prices, you can do so without digging too deep. In magnum, opt for those of Château de Carles (Bordeaux), Vignoble du Rêveur (Alsace), Elodie Balme (Côtes-du-Rhône), Jean-Baptiste Sénat (Languedoc) or Domaine des Triennes (Provence).
Happy shopping!
