A few years ago, one of the champagne houses came up with the idea of marketing a bubbly that could be enjoyed served over ice. As the final “liqueur de tirage”, a mixture of sugar and yeast, is added before corking for the final time, it is easy to control the amount of sweetness in this type of wine. It seems that a degree of sweetness suits this over-ice ritual.

As party time and hot weather are nearing, I will suggest a few that marry well with real ice cubes that melt and dilute the beverage. This is not about plastic-coated or even steel cubes that are designed to chill a drink without melting in it.

Rosé suits this very well so let us lead off with Veuve du Vernay Ice Rosé that is created by a blend of syrah, cinsault and grenache grapes. It exhibits a clear light pink with a little bubbly mousse. Primary aromas of strawberry, raspberry, and citrus and secondary aromas of a toasted bakery bread loaf. Semi-sweet and roundly pleasant, medium acidity, medium body, abundant bubbles. Perfect to put on ice with slices of strawberries and mint. Ice or not, it is best if chilled in the fridge as it will show at its refreshing best at about 45F. $19.40 (Stock #7301).

Even though Veuve du Vernay is situated in the Burgundy region of France their Veuve du Vernay Ice Demi Sec is also very reasonably priced at $19.40. It is produced by blending chenin blanc and two other white wine grapes called ungi blanc and folle blanche. It tends to show what winemakers call pit fruits; examples being peach and apricot. (Stock #7300). I must admit that I am impressed by the packaging that is so chic.

Our 19 Crimes Snoop Dogg Cali Gold Sparkling Wine is described this way by the producers: “A tribute to the bold, uncompromising, and defiant nature of the 19 Crimes brand. It's the perfect embodiment of a culture creator, innovator, and leader in pop culture, just like the legendary Snoop Dogg. This sparkling wine is a proud collaboration between 19 Crimes and Snoop Dogg, who embodies all the qualities of the brand through his hard work and perseverance.

“With a deep golden colour, this sparkling wine boasts a fine bead and lively mousse. The nose is expressive and full of character, with aromas of honey, ripe peach, and apricot. The palate is soft and smooth, with flavours of honeyed apricot, citrus, and a touch of vanilla. The finish is long and refreshing, leaving a lasting impression that's as bold and uncompromising as the wine itself.”

This bubbly lends itself well to the addition of a few cubes of ice and it does have a touch of sweetness. $28.90 (Stock #6221).

A pair of very suitable party wines hails from South America and they take to the addition of a few cubes of ice very well. New Age Rosé is a blend of 50 per cent malbec and 50 per cent merlot; the grapes are hand-picked from sustainably farmed vineyards across Argentina’s San Rafael wine region.

Selected yeasts are added to the freshly-pressed juice to begin the fermentation which is halted halfway through by spinning the wine in a centrifuge, creating a naturally slightly sweet, semi-sparkling wine. No added sweeteners are used in the production of New Age Wines.

Notes of wild raspberry and powdered sugar lead into flavours of red fruits and violet flowers. Fresh and lightly effervescent, this rosé has a touch of sweetness and a soft mouthfeel with bright and refreshing acidity on the finish. Serve over ice with a slice of lemon for a rosé tincho – it also makes a unique and tasty Argentine-style sangria! $21.90 (Stock #8023).

Here is what Reverse Wine Snob has to say on their site about New Age White: “Today's wine is a Reverse Wine Snob Certified Summertime Sipper™ if there ever was one! When the temperature really heats up, I can't think of many wines that would be more refreshing than this bubbly little number.

“The New Age White begins with a pleasant, peachy aroma that also features a little tropical fruit. Tasting the wine reveals sweet yet crisp flavours of peach, pear and mango and a really nice effervescence that cuts down the sweetness nicely. You'll also find good acidity in this very refreshing wine. And I love the low alcohol so you don't have to be too concerned if you're quaffing it down on a really hot day. As the label says you can even serve it over ice with a lime – called the tincho in Argentina. While it's not very complex this is definite ‘bulk buy’ material for the dog days of summer. There's good reason this is the top selling Argentine white wine in the US.” Not much I can add to that! $21.90 (Stock #8022).

How about some port? Don’t be worried as the heat has not affected my power of thought. I am not thinking of a wonderful, rich, soul warming red port, so enjoyable on a cold winter’s night. I wish to suggest Graham’s No 5 White Port.

Wine expert Henry Jeffreys has written this: “In the city of Porto itself, the most popular summer drink is either a tawny served chilled or white port mixed with tonic water, often with orange peel or sprigs of rosemary, like the way the Spanish serve their gin and tonics. Graham's has done something different here by concentrating solely on two grapes – malvasia fina and moscatel gallega.

“They are cold-fermented to accentuate their aromatic qualities before the brandy is added to stop fermentation, leaving the wine sweet. It's then sold un-aged, so that the fruit is to the fore. The result is so intensely fruity and floral that it tastes like it has been flavoured like a gin. All in all a very clever, delicious and innovative wine that could likely induct people who don’t necessarily think of themselves as port drinkers into the club.” $37 (Stock #3039).

• This column is a paid-for advertorial for Burrows Lightbourn Ltd. written by Michael Robinson. He can be contacted at mrobinson@bll.bm. Burrows Lightbourn has stores in Hamilton (Front Street East. 295-1554) and Paget (Harbour Road, 236-0355). A selection of its wines, beers and spirits is available online at www.wineonline.bm