The last of the summer wine

You can level the intolerably predictable slur at me, if you want, because this week’s recommendations fit the "last of the summer wine" theme. I have not included the inevitable descent of a hill in a bathtub, however, or any reference to wrinkly stockings.

This selection, a red, white and pink, would be ideal sipped while enjoying the late- summer/early-autumn sunshine.

Head to Spain’s Rueda wine region for an aromatic white made from the verdejo grape, Las Olas Verdejo, Rueda 2013, listed by The Wine Society. It has flavours of orchard fruit and grapefruit with a crisp, fresh acidity and some mineral notes on the finish. Try it if you usually choose sauvignon blanc.

Some wine drinkers don’t regard rosé as proper wine. I know where they are coming from: some pinks can be a little confected and one-dimensional, but there are well-crafted, complex examples too.

One of the best I have tasted for a long while is Saint Andrieu L'Oratoire Coteaux Varois en Provence 2013. A lightly coloured, elegant Provençal pink, it is an intriguing blend of carignan, syrah, cinsault and cabernet sauvignon, with a dash of rolle (aka vermentino).

It has flavours of strawberry, peach, raspberry and lemon, pronounced mineral notes and a little spice with a fresh, balanced acidity. Brilliant with salmon, it will also match well with lobster or summer salads.

In the red corner is Henry Fessy Beaujolais-Villages 2011, a hugely likeable example of the gamay grape and one that comes in at under £10.

It is a very approachable, light red, with a bright acidity, oodles of cherry and cassis flavours and distinct floral notes. Remember to chill it a little before serving and try it with anything from pork pies to pakora.

Las Olas Verdejo, Rueda 2013, £7.95 from The Wine Society 17/20

Saint Andrieu L'Oratoire, Coteaux Varois en Provence 2013, £10.99 from redsquirrelwine.com 18/20

Henry Fessy Beaujolais-Villages 2011, £9.75 from oddbins.com 17/20