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I'm not that old and I can't claim the decades of wine trade experience that many of my colleagues can. Despite that, I can still remember the days when a producer would put forward his bottle of rosé only after we'd worked our way through the more serious' reds and whites.

These wines were quite often no more than an afterthought and no one seriously expected you to place a substantial order for import.

Oh, what a difference a decade makes! In the last month I have been swimming in the pink stuff. I had six friends for supper the other week and I tell you, not a word of a lie, that four of them - quite independently - brought a bottle of rosé; two fizzy versions, one particularly classy southern French offering and a super-ripe (almost red!) pink Merlot from Australia. And, despite the fact that there was nothing much summery about the weather, we drank and enjoyed every one of them.

The selection of rosé wines on the shelves looks set to continue too. On a recent trip to Zurich I was involved in a blind tasting that included a pink Syrah blend from Thailand, no less. No, I didn't identify the country of origin!

Less than a week later a colleague was chasing me down at an event to offer me a glass from Morocco (interesting, but weird!). The wine industry is guilty of many things but standing still isn't one of them.

The Thai rosé came from Monsoon Valley Vineyards, which have plantings in the Tab Gwang Hills to the north of Bangkok and in the Hua Hin hills to the south. It was perhaps not surprising that I wasn't close in getting the country right and I didn't fare any better on the grapes either.

The wine is a blend of Malaga Blanc, Colombard and Shiraz and is undeniably refreshing and easy to drink. Monsoon says that one of their primary objectives was to make wines that would work well with the local cuisine and I suspect that the aromatic intensity of the wine would certainly help.

It's not just new places that are adding to rosé diversity. Some producers are also making a move towards delivering wines that are capable of bottle ageing. I have to admit to feeling a bit funny about this as I'm such an enthusiastic fan of the youthful freshness of rosés. Still, you never know until you've tried.

The Arínzano estate in Spain is owned by the Chivite family and was recently accredited Pago status, which is the highest accreditation an estate can receive in the country.

Famous for their powerful Chardonnay wines and sumptuous reds, it's perhaps not surprising that their Rosado would be a bit different.

I tasted the 2004 vintage of the Chivite Colección 125 which is a blend of varieties, including Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Grenache.

It's both fermented and aged in oak and, given all that, the refreshing quality of the wine was quite a surprise to me. You know straight away that the wine's spent time in the barrel; it's the praline aromas that give that away.

On the palate, it is smooth with crisp acidity and really nice strawberry fruits. It's great but would I honestly have the desire to keep it three years?

For me, the whole point of rosé is that it's like a best friend. In its company you don't have to try too hard - it's all about relaxing, kicking back and having fun.

Happily, their long-term future seems secure and I don't doubt that there will be many more pink dinner parties in the years to come.

This week's case from The Oxford Times Wine Club is a delicious crop of rosé wines. Enjoy!

Click here for The Oxford Times Wine Club offers.

4:38pm Wednesday 4th June 2008

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