THESE SUMMERTIME SIPS ARE DELICIOUS, DIRT CHEAP

Summertime calls for crisp, easy-drinking wines that leave room in the budget for fancy frappuccinos, great getaways and, if you’ve got wee ones, summer camp. With that in mind, here are five dirt cheap, delicious drops just right for the height of summer

NV Piera Martellozzo Blu Giovello Prosecco DOC, Italy (AB: Various locations; BC: Independent merchants only; NS: NSLC 1013539 $18.80; ON: LCBO 85316 $15.20)

Blu Giovello isn’t just a reliably smart drop; it’s drier than many Proseccos on shelves, so less apt to tire the palate after a glass or two. Expect captivating aromas of freshly sliced pear and flavours of the same threaded with coy suggestions of bitter orange, white grapefruit and cool minerals. The effect is one of vivaciousness tempered with subtly and finesse. Pour it on its own or with food. I particularly like it with smoked fish mousse on toasted baguette slices.

Score: 91

2016 Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde, Portugal (AB: Various locations; BC: independent merchants only; NS: NSLC 1000567 $12.99 till Aug. 26, reg. $13.99); ON: LCBO 89995 $12.45)

This classic Vinho Verde tastes taut and focused, delivering an instant hit of pure refreshment. Scents of cool lime and gentle bay leaf draw you toward the attack, which glides over the palate with great purity and resolve. It enters like a beam of saturated flavour — green apple, grapefruit, lime oil, sea salt and bay leaf — then lingers. Delicious on its own or with Portuguese-style Peri Peri chicken. Score: 90

NV Voga Moscato Frizzante IGT, Veneto, Italy (AB: Various locations; BC Independent merchants only; N.S.: NSLC 1017785 $16.99; ON: LCBO 267781 $13 till Aug. 18, reg. $14.50)

Juicy-sweet and gently-bubbly with a low 7.5 per cent alcohol, this bargain bottle is bright, tight and focused with flavours of chin-drip pineapple, peach, orange and mango. It’s the kind of wine you can ice down and quaff with abandon on those casual afternoons in the sun. And if you get peckish — pour it with something hot and spicy such as slices of spicy Italian sausage or Sriracha pulled pork tacos. Score: 92

2017 Concha y Toro Frontera Sauvignon Blanc, Chile (AB: Various locations; BC: BC Liquor Stores 324871 $8.79; NS: 1000469 $10.99; ON: LCBO 524348 $9.10)

Here’s a wine with all the bright refreshment of your favourite Pinot Grigio but with a bit more fruit character. Think mouthfilling flavours of Granny Smith apple, damp basil and cut grass. The bone-dry expression hovers somewhere between the restraint of French Sancerre, which is of course pure Sauvignon Blanc, and the full-throttle style that hails from Marlborough. Goes with everything from cold soups to hot nuts. Just terrific value.

Score: 93

NV Barefoot Pinot Grigio, California (AB: Various locations; BC: BC Liquor Stores 921304 $9.99; NS: NSLC 1005635 $12.99; ON LCBO 53983 $10.95)

Like all good Pinot Grigios, Barefoot’s version is more about cool restraint than flamboyant fruit. It starts with understated scents of sun-warmed tangerine before slipping glass-like over the palate with subdued citrus and yellow plum flavours underpinned with a subtle slate-like character. This casual drop tastes crisp and dry, and works well on its own or with Californian salads dotted with fruit and nuts.

Score: 89+