ON THE GRAPEVINE
SAM WYLIE-HARRIS ON... INVIGORATING WHITE WINES TO SIP THIS SUMMER
WHEN the heat is on and a warm wind whips up, nothing spells summer like a sun-bleached white to dive into or chill out with and take it easy.
Here’s our favourite invigorating white wines to enjoy this summer...
1 TAPADA DE VILLAR VINHO VERDE 2017, PORTUGAL
(£7, M&S stores) BRIGHT as the Portuguese sun, this is a fun, light, lunchtime white with good acidity driving the crisp green apple and lime flavours, with a refreshing spritz keeping it on point. Pour it with clams in garlic and white wine to capture the fresh flavours of a summer seaside holiday.
2 COWRIE BAY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018, MARLBOROUGH, NEW ZEALAND
(£7.49, Waitrose) A SHOWY contrast of gooseberry, basil and lime on the nose and exuding mouth-watering green characters, this top drop is basking in the limelight, having scooped an IWC Great Value White under £8 award. The tasting panel described it has having “complex, pungent notes of tomato leaf, green pepper and passion fruit, creamy texture and long-bright finish”, making it a great weekday wine.
3 SAINSBURY’S TASTE THE DIFFERENCE SPANISH ALBARINO 2017, SPAIN
(£8.50, Sainsbury’s) FOR a lasting sense of freshness, you can’t go wrong with this coastal white from Galicia. There’s a hint of sea spray behind its fresh, lemony acidity with floral scents lifted by a hint of apricot with lime, peach and apple flavours, mineral notes and a breezy, lifted finish. Delicious with anything plucked from the sea.
4 TESCO FINEST TINGLEUP RIESLING 2018, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
(£9, Tesco) WITH a lovely whiff of lemony, floral freshness, there’s depth and intensity to the ripe citrusy, limey flavours of this wine, with hints of stone fruits complementing the citrus fruit and a dry, stony, minerally finish. Aromatic grapes thrive Down Under and this refreshing riesling is excellent on its own but even better with a spicy Thai noodle salad.
5 KALFU MOLU CHARDONNAY 2017, CASABLANCA VALLEY, CHILE
(£10.25, Frontier Wines) AN easy, breezy, cool-climate chardonnay, fresh and beautifully balanced. Tropical and citrus flavours vie for attention and blend with well-balanced acidity, oceanic notes and a lively, expressive finish. A great catch with smoked sweet chilli salmon.