Our Summer Sipping Favourites
Our Summer Sipping Favourites...
The sun's hat is securely fastened, the days are warming up and the skies above are blue at last. To help you make the most of the summer season, our experts at Piccadilly have assembled a selection of tipples that pair perfectly with a drop of glorious sunshine.
From radiant rosés and celebration-ready bubbles, to crisp, summery whites and a few rich and refreshing surprises to boot, the perfect thing for every al fresco feast, impromptu picnic or sundown drinks party is here. And once you've explored the bottles below, there are even more Seasonal Selections to discover. Santé!
Bubbles, Bubbles, and More Bubbles!
For lovers of all things blush, we've picked out three sparkling Rosés, all rich with the sort of crisp and elegant notes that partner with a little sunshine. The first is our very own Rosé Champagne, a unique cuvée made exclusively for Fortnum's by Champagne Billecart Salmon, from a judicious blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier grapes, while the second is peachy Prosecco from the Zuchetto family's vineyards in the heart of the DOCG, rich with seasonal notes and aromas of strawberry, raspberry, peach and apple.
And for those looking for a tipple that won't make you topple, there's our alcohol-free Rosé Sparkling Tea, a pale pink, consequences-free tipple with abundant notes of raspberry, sherbet, wild strawberries, elderflower and oolong tea. And if you're still feeling the Jubilee spirit (and why wouldn't you be?) there's no finer way to toast Her Majesty this summer, than with our Platinum Jubilee English Sparkling Wine.
Drink Pink!
Is there a more summer-perfect tipple than a chilled bottle of rosé? Each chosen with al fresco sipping in mind, the handpicked bottles in the selection below are among our best-loved and most-refreshing. The first is Rosa dei Frati, a vibrant, strawberry-scented wine made by the shores of Italy's Lake Garda, while the second is a zesty Clos Mireille Rosé (arguably Provence's greatest) crafted from a blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah grapes from the vineyards of Domaines Ott.
And rounding off this selection are a pair of Fortnum's label wines that are absolutely outstanding with a drop of sunshine for company: our Bardolino Chiaretto Rosé is an organically-produced blend of indigenous Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes, rich with an unmistakable minerality, while our light, salmon-pink Côtes de Provence Rosé delivers copious notes of summer berries and a delightful acidity, courtesy of an elegant blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah grapes.
Summer-Ready Whites
Give us a sunny day, a little good company and a few bottles of crisp white wine, and we're happy indeed. Among the white wines in our seasonal selection you'll find the quartet of quenching tipples below. There's our glorious Muscadet Sur Lie, made in the heart of the historic Appellation Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, with a beautiful natural acidity and saline character. There's a fresh-flavoured Swartland Chenin Blanc too, rich with citrus fruit and honey almond notes, hailing from the Delaire Graff estate on the crest of the panoramic Helshoogte Mountain Pass.
For lovers of pure-flavoured whites, our Avesso (from Portugal's Vinho Verde region) is the wonderfuly handiwork of influential winemaker Anselmo Mendes, and promises buzzy notes of apricot, tangerine and lemon – and last but by no means least, there's our beautiful Gavi Terrarossa, a lively, ripe-fruited Italian white which delivers delicate notes and aromas of Amalfi lemons, tangerine and acacia.
Oh-So-Refreshing Reds
Bubbles, rose and white wines might get the bulk of the attention when the temperatures trend upwards, but there's always room for a good bottle of red, even in the summer months. Rich with ripe blueberry fruit flavours, our velvety, full-bodied and organically-made Argentinian Malbec offers all the richness so typical of the region's best wines, but with a wonderful freshness that provides balance – while our oak barrel-aged Rioja Crianza (made by the esteemed obelos Bodegas y Vinedos, no less) delivers velvety-soft and gently-spiced notes of berry fruits from a blend of 95% Tempranillo and 5% Grenache grapes.