Sunny days in my house often lead to balmy evenings spent on the patio and last weekend was no exception. Making the most of the glorious weather we fired up the barbecue and stocked up the wine fridge.

While I cannot claim to be any kind of connoisseur, I do know which tipples tickle my taste buds. I also know that on a warm summer evening, the first sip of my favourite chilled rosé is the one that touches my soul.

Sadly though, it would appear that my soul has expensive taste as one of my go-to favourites is Whispering Angel from Chateau d'Esclans, which clocks in at more than £20 a bottle. In an attempt to save a few pennies, I recently grabbed a highly recommended bottle of pink from my local Lidl.

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The Lidl Côtes de Provence Rosé set me back £8.49, less than half the price of my usual pink plonk. Not sure what to expect, I decided that even if it was dreadful, it hadn't cost me too much - wine math!

Now according to the experts, a good Côtes de Provence rosé should have a fruity, floral nose to it, with a fresh taste that is intense without being overpowering. I didn't notice any of these things because I don't know what it all means, but I can tell you that the Lidl wine tasted delicious.

Enjoying a cheeky Friday night drink with my daughter, we decided that it certainly looked the same salmon pink as the more expensive Whispering Angel, and it smelt the same too. Granted, it doesn't have quite the same smoothness as the more expensive bottle, but it still goes down nicely without that bitter, acidic aftertaste that some cheap wines leave behind.

It was crisp and dry, not sweet and sickly, and when chilled to perfection our unsophisticated palettes found it really yummy.

The Lidl Côtes de Provence Rosé achieved an overall score of 88 in the Lidl Bampfield ratings. Based on comments from the highly regarded Master of Wine and independent lead taster, Richard Bampfield, this pretty pink falls into the 'wine with special qualities' category.

I don't think this cheaper alternative is necessarily exactly the same as my beloved Whispering Angel, but in my opinion, it is still a nice, smooth rosé that certainly tastes more expensive than it is. Cheers Lidl!