Wine Enthusiast calls Amarone “one of 15 icons in Italian wine”. They are certainly some of the country’s most treasured reds. Rooted in the ancient tradition of sun-drying grapes before fermentation, Amarone wines offer exceptional richness and a glorious combination of power and complexity that cellars well, too. No wonder they are sought after worldwide. This 2020 from esteemed Cantina Negrar pays tribute to 18th century poet Bartolomeo Lorenzi, whose epic poems celebrating rural life made Valpolicella wines famous.

The grapes are from the ancient, dry, stone terraces of the cool Marano Valley, where they ripen slowly. They are then air-dried for 120 days to intensify flavours. Decant early and enjoy with hearty dishes, or cellar.

Lots of customers associate the Cabalié name with a richly flavoursome red. Now meet its oh-so-moreish white sibling, our top-selling southern French white, with 7 Golds in just four vintages! Ripe, crisp and, best of all, terrifically versatile.

El Bombero red regularly sits in our customer’s Top 10, so we are excited to present its new sibling - a vibrant, fruity rosado. It comes from Cariñena, a hot, arid region of Spain where sun-loving grapes like Garnacha thrive. Along with big reds, the region produces bright, bold pinks. With just a few hours of contact between the grape juice and skins, the rosés catch the bright berry notes and a light hue.

El Bombero rosado is a wonderful example of a new wave of Garnacha rosés. It lies between Spain’s traditional fruity, medium-bodied rosés and the pale, light-bodied Provençal style. Showing great fruit finesse, it’s ideal to sip on its own, while its roundness makes it a great food wine as well – especially with a tasty paella.

If you enjoy the freshness of Loire Sauvignon, you must try this great-value rival from the sunny south. It's from Hervé Sabardeil, a very gifted winemaker we've known for many years. His plan was to make the freshest, most aromatic, good-value white he could from whichever vineyards it took. Hence its ‘Vin de France’ classification. For Hervé, wine is an expression of nature's finest – the soil, the sunshine, the grape. La Belle Saison does that very well.

Pure and full of citrus zip, this wine has the freshness you'd expect from a Sauvignon, plus a light tropical fruit note thanks to the warmth of southern France. Delightfully refreshing, this Sauvignon is crisp, fruity and easy, on its own or with light dishes of grilled fish or salads.

Our good friend, the winemaker Alessandro Gallici, was the one who insisted our Buyer Leo dropped by to see the Anselmi family in 2019. They have a winery in Friuli, NE Italy, an area renowned for its crisp, aromatic whites. The family have been making wines there since 1928 and now have extensive vineyards, running almost to the shore, naturally cooled by breezes from the Adriatic.

The clay soils are ideal for the many native varieties – Refosco, Friulano, Verduzza, Pignolo, Ribolla Gialla and, of course, Pinot Grigio, as well as international stars Cabernet and Merlot. Above all, their wines are terrific value. Named after the originally called Romeo and Juliet, Luigi e Lucina is a refreshing white. Ideal solo or with light dishes.

Aquarius is one of the great wines made by the McPherson clan. You may know the name – they are the incredible team behind our bestselling The Full Fifteen. There’s no end to the talents of Chief Winemaker Jo Nash who has a long list of accolades to her name and crafts this excellent rosé too. It’s dominated by Shiraz, with supporting roles from Sangiovese and Petit Verdot – all carefully selected from Central Victoria.

The juice is quickly run off the grape skins to obtain a good kick of pink, then cool fermented for the perfect balance of freshness and fruit-filled flavour. Bright, zestful and dry with aromas of raspberries, strawberries and a touch of white pepper spice. Chill down well, sip solo, or pair with a quiche or Thai curry.

How do you make Zinfandel Blush? There’s no punchline, just a rosé style that’s California’s signature pink. The name, Pink Darner, refers to the delicate dragonfly you can see skimming over the vineyards in sunny California, and on the label! Easy-going Pink Darner is made from fruit sourced in the Central Valley’s Lodi. This region has long been considered the spot where the quality to value ratio is at its best.

Home to some of California’s oldest Zinfandel plantings, you can be sure Pink Darner is going to be a fruity, oh-so-refreshing wine. The kind of off-dry rosé you can enjoy as a treat at any time of the year. Pour yourself a glass and revel in the strawberry, watermelon dream that’ll whisk you straight to the Sunshine State.