5 English rosé wines you should be drinking this summer

If you mention English wine most people tend to think of fizz, but our still wines are coming on in leaps and bounds, as last week's Decanter award of “The Best Medium-Priced Wine in the World” to Norfolk's Winbirri Bacchus will testify.

English rosé, grown from Cornwall to Yorkshire, can be a fantastic beast, often crisp and dry with hints of summer fruits.

Grab it while you can as stocks tend to be limited due to the low yields of many English vineyards.

Here are a few of our favourites.

1. Hush Heath Estate, Kent

Nannette's English Rosé 2016

Grapes: 75% Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier, 25% Chardonnay

Tasting Notes: The Champagne blend of grapes, without the fizz. Delicate, pale onion skin pink. Bright and expressive with Kentish strawberries and ripe orchard fruits. Medium-bodied and refreshing, with hints of ripe pear, red fruits and a vibrant citrusy acidity.

Perfect with: Nicoise salad

Price: £17

2. Albury Organic Vineyard, Surrey

Silent Pool Rosé 2016

Grapes: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier

Tasting Notes: Served by The Queen on the Royal Barge for her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, this is an elegant, English pink, with crisp, subtle and fresh, summer fruit flavours, and is certified organic.

Perfect with: Poached asparagus

Price: £17.00

3. Stopham Estate, Sussex

Rosé 2015

Grape: Dornfelder

Alcohol: 11.5%

Tasting Notes: Made by an ex-Formula 1 engineer. This precision made Rosé is bright pink with aromas of fresh summer raspberries and strawberries. Off-dry with crunchy red fruits along with crisp balancing acidity.

Perfect with: English strawberries

Price: £14.00

4. Giffords Hall, Suffolk

Rosé 2016

Grapes: Pinot Noir, Bacchus, Madeline Angevine

Tasting Notes: Distinct aroma of roses, white peach and wild strawberry notes. The palate is fresh with red berry flavours and a touch of pink grapefruit. Delightful as an aperitif but also a wonderful accompaniment to fish dishes.

Perfect with: Grilled squid

Price: £15.00

5. Sixteen Ridges, Worcestershire

Pinot Noir Rosé 2015

Grape: Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes: A seductive, ripe and rich off-dry rosé. Deliciously balanced, bursting with flavour. Strawberries, raspberries and melon aromas lead to a lively fruity palate of berries and earthy cherries.

Perfect with: Selsey Crab salad

Price: £14.00

James Hawkins is the co-founder of Hawkins Bros, which exclusively sells English wines. The brothers also produce their own sparkling wine, Hawkins Bros Brut Reserve 2013, silver medal winner of IEWA 2017. Find out more at hawkinsbros.co.uk