Wines of the week

Graham Beck, The Rhona Sparkling Brut Rosé NV, South Africa (£12.99, Marks & Spencer, marksandspencer.com ) Pink bubbles are the drink of choice for Valentine's Day. But if it means an excuse to drink wines like this modern South African classic, who cares if it's a cynical commercial ruse? Pale pink in colour, it's made using the same techniques as champagne, using the same grapes (pinot noir and chardonnay), and it has a tongue-tingling balance of ripe strawberry and elegant, fine bubbles. Gran Casali Lambrusco Grasparossa, Italy 2009 (£9.99, Laithwaites, laithwaites.co.uk ) This fizz doesn't exactly qualify as pink. But if you prefer your wines more full-blooded and you want something to stand up to more powerful food during a romantic dinner, then this red sparkler is a great alternative to rosé. With its bright morello cherries, moreish savoury edge and incisive acidity, it's a world away from your average two-quid bottle of industrial Lambrusco. Ayala Brut Majeur Rosé Champagne, France NV (from £29, Tanners, tanners-wines.co.uk ; thedrinkshop.com ; slurp.co.uk ) Champagne Ayala was taken over by the neighbours at the more famous Bollinger a few years back, and its wines – already pretty good – have been improving ever since. More than half the blend is chardonnay, and it's a really fine pink champagne for the money. Redcurrants and raspberries and a graceful mousse are shot through with precise acidity.