Not so! The intensity of colour just reflects how long the grapes are in contact with the skin – a bit like stronger tea from leaving the tea bag longer in the water. Darker rosé tends to be a touch more fruity and fuller bodied than pale rosé.

On the whole, all rosé can be drunk young, but rosés with more fruit and maybe some oak can age a long time. Some tavels (an AOC in the southern Rhône region of France) can age for decades – I recently had a fabulous Provence rosé from 1985.

If I am tasting for evaluation, I serve rosé at 12°C, so the flavours and aromas aren’t muted. But in the heat of the summer, I like it chilled to around 8-9°C. If you’re drinking ice-cold wine because it’s hot and you need a refreshing drink, I think it is better and more responsible to drink water or fruit juice. Trying to make rosé colder by adding ice cubes will only dilute the flavour.

While it’s great on its own, rosé goes really well with food, too. Its fresh acidity makes it great with cheese, fish and salads. Rosés with a bit more red fruit in them are amazingly good with tomatoes.

Not necessarily. Fresh, light rosés are, of course, perfect with sunshine, but richer, often oaked styles are lovely in winter, too – try them with lamb, turkey and chicken dishes.