Welcome to the wine world’s biggest success story this century. While the the rest of the industry scratches its head, wondering how to keep wine relevant and desirable, the wine growers of Provence have worked out that they’re not really selling wine — they’re selling pleasure.

The wine down here isn’t too serious, and the makers in question are selling it to the joy-seekers of the world. What’s more, they’re selling lots of it — and for pretty big money, too. Whilst Prosecco, that other great ‘goodtime’ wine, averages out at about £7.50 a bottle, Provence Rosé has in recent years shot through the £15 mark — and plenty of other Rosé makers around the world are very happy being swept along on its coattails. Wine has at last found something properly profitable and scalable — and long may the party last.

It became one of the biggest wine brands in the world and, what’s more, it was really quite dark. Then came a bit of global warming — meaning warmer summers in the UK — then the budget airlines in the late 1990’s and noughties and suddenly, we could fly to drink rosé by the Med, and bring it back with us too. How glam!

Rosé had subtly but decisively moved from being its old, deep, scarlet colour — often taking itself seriously (think Tavel Rosé) — to become a pale, coral pink beauty that’s sole purpose was to be, well, beautiful.

In fact, about one in three bottles of the wine we buy is a pink one — and our shelves are increasingly flooded with everything pink: cider, alcopops, gins, vodkas. Really, if you want your drinks product to be even more successful than it is already, make it pink.

But what we’re really getting at here is, of course, how much to spend on a bottle of rosé — regardless of its precise hue or the celebrity flogging it. And, like all things in wine, there’s no right answer here. What I love with this particular conundrum, though, is that it’s really quite simple. Are we buying it for the taste of the juice, or are we buying for the impact at the table or by the pool instead? If it’s the latter, then go for your life — pay as much as is going to bring you joy, and get it in magnums. If it’s for the quality though, it’s £15-max every time. This is not a serious wine so you don’t need to spend serious money.

And one last thing — most Rosé tastes better with one years’ bottle age on it, so buy the 2022s if you can. But no older.

Five best Rosés for £15 or under:

Five best Rosés when you want to spend more:

And two Rosés if you need to unload a lot of cash quickly: