These wines are on offer at Waitrose, in Newport

Summer is the perfect time for sipping crisp, fruity rose wines or enjoying light, fruity whites with seafood and salads. Wine houses from Italy and France offer some of the world’s best varieties and bargains are available through August at Shropshire’s Waitrose store, in Newport, with discounts of up to 33 per cent on regular store prices.

The house of Bouchard Aîné et Fils is synonymous with great taste, having been formed by Michel Bouchard in Burgundy in 1731. For more than two centuries, the House of Bouchard Aîné & Fils has had as its mission an unyielding quest for perfection in quality, authenticity of style, the prestige that lies in a name, and perfect mastery of grape selection, winemaking and ageing.

White Burgundy

It’s White Burgundy 2007 is on offer in August at £5.99, a saving of 25% on the regular £7.99 price. The vintage is autumnal in its hints of nuttiness and baked apple flavors and it has a long, mineral finish. It ends savory and warm, to serve with roast game birds and acorn squash. So stock up now, and hang on to it to drink over coming months. Come the game season, you’ll be pleased by the foresight you showed in making the most of a bargain basement offer.

Louis Jardot Rose

A complete different burgundy is on offer in August from Louis Jadot. The house’s Beaujolais Rosé 2007/08 ios available at Waitrose with a £2 saving, down from £8.99 to £6.99. The wine is the first ever vintage of Beaujolais rosé from renowned burgundian producer Louis Jadot.

Rosé is made in a similar way to white wine, except the skins of the grape are left in contact with the juice for a number of hours to provide colour. This example is dry and has the typical fruit-forward style of fresh Gamay grapes. The vinification process will allow nice fresh redcurrant and raspberry fruit character.

This wine has strawberry flavours

A softer, sweeter rose is available from the south of France, with a 20 per cent saving in August. Château Caraguilhes Rosé 2007 Corbières is available at £7.19, down from its regular price of £8.99. Château Caraguilhes is the largest grower of certified organically-grown grapes in the Corbières region. Since 1992, the accreditation body ECOCERT has ensured that all the grapes used in the making of Caraguilhes wines are certified as organic (www.ecocert.com).

The house’s organic wines do not use pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. Instead, it uses only environmentally-friendly methods and resources to grow our grapes, such as natural pest and weed control.  Plants other than vines are grown in and around our vineyards to maintain and improve biodiversity and soil structure.

Château Caraguilhes Rosé 2007 Corbières is an  organic rosé with fresh wild strawberry flavours. The drink is wonderful on its own or with full flavoured dishes such as Bouillabaisse, paella, chilli flavoured chicken as well as treats such as cold prawns, seafood salad or sushi.

A delicious, sparkling Italian rose

Moving across the border, into Italy, brings plenty of delights. Borgo SanLeo, Nerello Mascalese/Prosecco Rosé is a sparkling wine that can happily be served as an aperitife. It’s on offer in August with a saving of 33 percent, down from £7.99 to £5.32. It’s the perfect party tipple, a fantastic party sparkler with enticing, sweet summer fruit aromas.

The palate shows strawberry and raspberry flavours with a hint of peach and a fruity yet refreshing finish. Borgo SanLeo, Nerello Mascalese/Prosecco Rosé is excellent on its own, a soft and fruity sparkler best served well-chilled.

A complex Italian white with a distinctive and smoky taste

In contrast, Tenuta Luisa 2007 Friulano del Friuli, is a complex Italian white with a distinctive and smoky taste from Fruili in North-east Italy.

It’s a delightful white made from Friulano grapes. The drink is dry yet broad with a zesty palate showing lime and citrus fruit flavours, a smoky complexity and herbaceous notes on the finish. Mouth-watering and fresh, it is an excellent accompaniment to lighter fish dishes and is on offer in August at £9.59, down from £11.99.

With so much choice from France and Italy, there’s plenty to keep drinkers peering through rose-tinted shades for the remainder of summer.