The July Spotlight: The Patio Selection
Six Wines Made for the Great Outdoors
July is the month for being outside. Long evenings, garden gatherings, barbecues that stretch well into the night — and the kind of lazy afternoons where the only real decision is what to open next.
This month, our 'In the Spotlight' collection is dedicated to exactly that. Six wines handpicked for patio drinking at its best — refreshing, versatile, and made for sharing. All 10% off throughout July, with the discount applied automatically at checkout.
Nivarius 'Lia' Pét-Nat Rosado 2024 — Rioja, Spain
£18.81 (single) | £17.01 (mixed six) (usual prices £20.90 / £18.90)
Pét-Nat — or pétillant naturel — is sparkling wine made the original way, finishing its fermentation in the bottle rather than a tank. The result is softer, livelier, and altogether more characterful than your average fizz. This one from Nivarius is made from Garnacha in the high-altitude vineyards of Rioja — redcurrant, wild strawberry, a gentle savoury note, and a crisp, clean finish. Unfiltered and bottled with no added sugar, it's fresh, characterful, and a very welcome change from more polished sparkling rosés.
Picpoul de Pinet, Château de la Mirande 2024 — Languedoc-Roussillon, France
£12.51 (single) | £11.61 (mixed six) (usual prices £13.90 / £12.90)
Picpoul is one of the great summer whites — zippy, briny, and utterly refreshing. Château de la Mirande's vines sit just outside the saltwater lagoon of Etang de Thau, and that proximity to the sea gives the wine a bright, coastal character all of its own. White flowers, ripe green fruit, a hint of the grapey freshness that makes Picpoul so popular, and all the zip and zing you'd want from a patio white. Nicely chilled with a platter of fresh oysters, it's hard to beat.
Pasquiers Grenache Cinsault Rosé 2025 — Languedoc-Roussillon, France
£9.45 (single) | £8.55 (mixed six) (usual prices £10.50 / £9.50)
The kind of rosé you always want to have in the fridge. Perfectly pale, light, crisp, and effortlessly refreshing — it could easily pass for a Provençal rosé, but at a considerably friendlier price. Made from Grenache and Cinsault, it's luscious and textural on the palate with tangy red berry flavours, a touch of spice from the Cinsault, and a dry, fresh finish. The sort of thing to open at the least excuse.
Beaujolais Villages, Les Pivoines 2024 — Beaujolais, France
£14.31 (single) | £13.41 (mixed six) (usual prices £15.90 / £14.90)
The patio red — and the one to serve slightly chilled. Made from Gamay, Beaujolais Villages is all about bright, juicy fruit and easy-drinking charm. This one delivers crushed strawberries, ripe cherries, and a subtle savoury note, with refreshing acidity that keeps it lively from first glass to last. Light-bodied, unoaked, and simply a joy to drink — brilliant with charcuterie, pâté, or a Niçoise salad.
Rabl Grüner Veltliner 'Loss', Kamptal 2024 — Austria
£15.75 (single) | £13.95 (mixed six) (usual prices £17.50 / £15.50)
Grüner Veltliner is Austria's signature white grape — and once you've tried a good one, you'll wonder why you don't drink it more often. Weingut Rabl's 'Loss' is a superb example: fresh tropical fruit, blossom, and lime on the nose, leading into a honeyed palate with hints of white pepper and a crisp mineral finish. Versatile, food-friendly, and beautifully refreshing. The food white of the collection.
Medici Ermete 'La Favorita' Reggiano Lambrusco Rosso Secco NV — Emilia-Romagna, Italy
£10.35 (single) | £9.45 (mixed six) (usual prices £11.50 / £10.50)
The wildcard — and the conversation starter. There's Lambrusco and there's Lambrusco. This is the proper stuff: dry, sparkling, and made to be served chilled on a warm evening. Crisp and bright with an abundance of red fruit aromas, lively raspberry and blackcurrant on the palate, hints of violet, and a clean, delicate finish. It's one of those bottles that changes people's minds — open it at a gathering and watch it disappear.