I meet a lot of wine drinkers who are colour prejudiced. They only like red, or they only like white. On hot and sunny days however, I have found that both camps can be united in their appreciation of ros wine.

It's interesting to note that the pink stuff represents only five per cent of the wine market in the UK. Judging by the amount of shelf space increasingly being given over to ros in my local supermarket, it's not hard to imagine that the share will increase.

So if you're after easy drinking, crowd pleasing wines, that can be drunk as an aperitif or paired with many types of food then you might like to consider the following pink options. I guarantee that none of them are sickly sweet, unlike the last bottle of ros you had in 1976.

Firstly, a quartet of pinks that won't send the overdraft soaring.

There are plenty of raspberry and strawberry flavours in Chileno Merlot Ros 2004 and it is distinctly dry for those who don't do residual sugar. Simple but effective with barbecue food.

Simple, crisp red summer fruit flavours and sub-fiver glugging potential, makes Cape Grace Pinotage Ros 2005 a good barbecue choice too. It has plenty of redcurrant and strawberry flavours and candyfloss aromas.

Le Passe Colline 2004 Cotes du Ventoux gains extra complexity and yeastiness from being aged sur lie. The major component grape used in the blend is grenache but syrah and cinsault also figure. Again there is plenty of red summer fruit and a sweet shop nose. On a minor note I'd much rather see a screwcap than the synthetic cork closure that is used.

Perhaps my favourite of the four is Caliterra Shiraz Ros 2004 from Chile's Central Valley. This is a nicely dry style of ros with cranberry, rosehip, strawbs and liberal sprinklings of herbs and pepper.

Secondly, a pink wine that, to use a sporting clich, raises the bar.

Villa Maria Private Bin Merlot Malbec Rose 2004 from New Zealand's Hawke's Bay region is more blood red than pink. It has ripe plum aromas, spices and intensely rich flavours of cherryade, raspberries and custard. This merlot and malbec blend is not just the best ros I've had in ages but one of the best wines I've had in ages.

The wine can be bought online and at some independents but I'm told the 2005 vintage will be more readily available.

Thirdly, two pink wines for fizz fans. I like the rich, nutty, toasted oak dryness of the 100 per cent pinot noir Cordorniu Rosado 1994. This vintage cava has raspberry and cranberry notes with a refreshing citrus zest.

It's a good job the great Champagne houses are not reliant on my patronage but if you've got money to chuck about or people to impress, then Champagne Taittinger Prestige Ros NV is decent enough. A blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay, it's full, crisp and toasty with a little zest and summer fruit.

If the sun shines again this summer, which is always possible, then you'd do well to think pink!

The winner of a case of Santa Rita wine is Mrs R Swinney of Queen's Gardens in Tadcaster. Mrs Swinney correctly identified Santa Rita as a Chilean wine producer and not Father Christmas's wife.

Chileno Merlot Ros 2004, £3.49 from £4.99 at the Co Op from July 11 16/20

Cape Grace Pinotage Ros 2005, £4.49 at Sainsbury's 16/20

Le Passe Colline 2004 Cotes du Ventoux, £4.99 at Majestic 16/20

Caliterra Shiraz Ros 2004, £4.99 from www.everywine.co.uk 16/20

Villa Maria Private Bin Merlot Malbec Ros 2004, £7.03 from www.everywine.co.uk 19/20

Cordorniu Pinot Noir Rosado 1994, £7.99 at Majestic and Sainsbury's 16/20

Champagne Taittinger Prestige Ros NV, £32.99 at Majestic, £34.99 at Oddbins and £36.99 at Threshers 14/20

Updated: 16:44 Friday, July 08, 2005