Take 5 Rosés

If you subscribe to our newsletters then you know we regularly raid the cellars at The Great Wine Co for delicious wines. Take a look at our latest picks...

As the old saying goes, if you can’t handle the heat, have a glass of rosé. Rosé is the wine of the summer; the fresh, fruity crispness of a cool bottle is the perfect accompaniment to an evening in the sun, and would you look at that colour? There’s nothing quite like it.

On the topic of colour, where better to start than Francesco Candido’s Salice Salentino Rosato le Pozelle (£11.06, The Great Wine Co)? The bright coral almost seems to glow, the intensity matched only by the rich opulence of the notes of fine fruit. On the palate it is harmonious with a pleasantly bitter aftertaste.

If you’re searching for something a little more delicate, try Sierra Cantabria’s Rioja Rosada (£13.28, The Great Wine Co). With aromas of raspberry and rose petal, it’s fresh and fruity but also refreshingly acidic, perfect for an after-work glass.

Head over to the South of France (section of the Great Wine Co website) for the ultimate summer barbecue bottle. Anciens Temps’ Vin de France Rosé (£8.84, The Great Wine Co) provides pure versatility, as an attractive, easydrinking rosé from Languedoc. This Cinault glows pale pink and tastes unassumingly of red fruit –it’s a fail-safe wine that will keep everyone happy.

For something slightly deeper, why not try Le Petit Broux by Cave de Sancerre (£14.80, The Great Wine Co)? Made from Pinot Noir grapes grown in Sancerre’s warmer sites, the wine is fragrant and appetising, with deep and delicious aromas of wild strawberry, peach, and redcurrant.

If you’re looking for a twist on a classic, the Via Nova Pinot Grigio Rosé (£8.74, The Great Wine Co) might just be the bottle for you. The Pinot Grigio is unapologetically dry, and a cold glass provides that muchneeded freshness on a hot summer’s day. Its rosé sister gives all that satisfaction, but is coupled with a base of summer fruits for easy drinking.

As July rolls in, we’re hoping that the heat is here to stay. As we celebrate the sun with garden parties and al-fresco dining, make sure that your wine fridge is stocked up with the perfect bottle of refreshing rosé and make the most of that summer feeling. n

Find all these lovely rosés at The Great Wine Co; greatwine.co.uk

Crab & Asparagus Tart

Seasonal, speedy and elegant to the max, this gorgeous tart is best served with new potatoes and a well-dressed salad for lunch, or accompanied by a handful of vinaigrette-tossed watercress as a summer supper starter. There's nothing in the rulebook, however, that says you couldn't pack it up and take it on a picnic either...

Ingredients (serves 4 as a main course, 6-8 as a starter)

• 1 x 500g block ready made, all-butter shortcrust pastry

• 250g white crab meat (if you can’t find fresh crab, tinned is fine)

• 2 spring onions, finely sliced

• 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped

• 2 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks

• 300ml sour cream

• ½ tsp white pepper

• 20 thin asparagus spears

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/ gas mark 4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until big enough to line a shallow, 20cm loose-bottomed tart tin (the pastry needs to be around the thickness of a £1 coin). Cover the base and sides of the pastry case with foil or greaseproof paper, fill with baking beans or raw rice and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the paper and the beans or rice and bake for 10 minutes more until golden. Remove the pastry case from the oven and allow to cool.

Evenly scatter the crab meat, spring onions and most of the dill (hold back a little bit for serving) across the pastry case. Whisk the whole eggs with the egg yolks, sour cream, white pepper and a little salt and pour across the top of the crab meat. Arrange the asparagus spears in a pretty 'wheel' pattern on top of the tart, then bake for 30-35 minutes or until the filling is just set. Serve warm or at room temperature, scattered with the remaining dill. n