If there's one thing some people do not get, it's pink. It's not so much the colour they want nothing to do with, it's the connotation: Pink is girly. Pink is cuddly, sweet, frilly and delicate. Pink can't be manly. So, if a wine is pink, it can't be very good, can it? I mean, wine has to be red to be good, or, at the very least, white, right? It can't be in-between.

Really, get over it! Close your eyes if you have to. Think of the best white wine you've had and mentally add thin layers of flavour -- first strawberry, then cherry, rhubarb or cranberry, and finally a hint of plum. Don't be surprised by an occasional kiss of natural sweetness.

Why so many people will choose a red or white "plonk-de-plonk" over a decent name-brand rosé bewilders me. Perhaps they associate it with the alco-pops of the late '80s and early '90s? Older folks may be embarrassed by their Mateus years, but really, there's no reason to be. Mateus Rosé was a big seller because it was (and still is) tasty, versatile and cheap. It was exceptionally well made at a time when modern winemaking was still in its infancy, and other student-grade offerings were either acidic or harsh or both.

Cheapsters may be won over by affordable prices, but the prime reason to think and drink pink is the overall high quality of rosés. So, this summer, remember to chill your bottles well, lay out a smattering of fresh, light snacks, and put yourself in the pink.

Take your pick
By variety
Grenache Rosé, E & J Gallo, $7, California
White Shiraz, The Little Penguin, $13 ($22/1.5 L), Australia
White Zinfandel, E & J Gallo, $8, California

By region
Chiaretto di Bardolino Rosé, Tommasi, $12, Veneto, Italy
Latitude Fifty Rosé, Gray Monk Estate Winery, $14, Okanagan, B.C.
Rosé d'Anjou, Rémy Pannier, $10, Loire, France
Tavel, Château d'Aqueria, $19 ($11/375 mL), Rhône, France

By brand name
Cuvée d'Andrée, Château des Charmes, $14, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.
Goats do Roam, Fairview, $13, South Africa
Gran Feudo Rosado, Bodegas Chivite, $11, Spain
Mateus Rosé, Sogrape, $8, Portugal
(Prices may vary from province to province.)