IT was probably quite fitting it snowed this week. For those of you who aren't Prince fans, one of his loveliest songs was called Sometimes It Snows In April. And when the great man, the greatest musical genius of many a generation, passes away in April, it snows. Maybe it was god crying gentle tears. Or doves crying.

But, yeah, the weather's rubbish. So let's leave the whites and rosés in the fridge (or outside where it's just as cold) and have a few reds this weekend to warm us up with that hot tea. In fact, let's call them purple reds in homage to Prince.

Waitrose and the Co-operative both have a couple of beautiful ones on offer currently. (Geddit? The Beautiful Ones - another of his hits.)

And there's a Prince link here too. One of his funkiest early 'B' sides was called Irresistible B*tch, and, coincidentally, one of the reds discounted at the Co-op right now is its Truly Irresistible Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.

This 2014 tipple, on at £6.99 until May 17, has notes of red berry fruits such as cherries (Under The Cherry Moon!) and plums with soft tannins.

Created by talented winemaker Scipione Giulian, these Montepulciano grapes are sourced from the beautiful Città Sant'Angelo in Pescara, from vineyards planted in light sandy loam soils with the average vine age of 15 to 30 years.

This deep ruby, violet wine is packed with young red berry (Raspberry Beret?) aromas. Rustic and full flavoured, it pairs perfectly with grilled meats.

Then there's the Montes Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, down to £6.99 from £8.99 till May 17.

This is a crimson-hued (Hue Got The Look?) Cab Sauv, packed with aromas of blackcurrants, blackberries and spice with refreshing acidity and some splendid fine tannins. It goes well with steak, but is also one of those hearty reds you could happily have on its own.

Heading up the Alphabet Street to Waitrose, there's a cracking, deceptively easy-drinking Katnook Cab Sauv down from £11.99 to £8.99 until May 10.

It's the Founder's Block tipple, with grapes from the famous red (Little Red Corvette) soil in Coonawarra, Australia.

This wine shows notes of dark plums and redcurrants on the palate, with very tiny hints of mint and a smoky savoury Kiss at the finish. A short time in oak adds complexity with soft tannins.

It's an excellent match with the usual red meats, especially slow cooked barbecued beef, but again is one that can be sipped on its own while we're watching Purple Rain on loop on the DVD.

And there's also a Baron des Tours Médoc (Lovesexy Tour DVD?) also on offer until May 10, at £7.29 rather than the usual £10.99.

This is a blend of CS with a bit of Merlot to form an elegant, medium-bodied Claret from the gravel vineyards of the Médoc.

There's a lovely blackcurrant edge to this one, and, while this column prefers the drinkability of the aforementioned Founder's Block, it's sure worth a go too.

A Sign O The Times that there are good offers all around. It was only a shame we didn't have time to find a vintage from 1999.