GOOD FOR A HOT DAY

Firriato Le Sabbie dell’Etna 2019

Etna Bianco, Sicily (12.5%, Waitrose, £12.99, not available online. In 63 branches only)

The vineyards grow around old lava streams on the slopes of Mount Etna. Made from carricante and catarratto, this white is vibrant and refreshing, like lemon syllabub with lemon rind, lemon juice and a lick of pumice.

Quinta da Pedra Alta

Branco 2018

Douro, Portugal (12.5%, winebuyers.com, £13)

The Douro is port country, so the white wines remain overlooked. Here’s one that demonstrates why that’s a pity. Made from gouveio (godello in Spain) and rabigato (a local grape with bracing acidity) it takes a firm line with subtle flavours of Asian pear, mineral and lemon rind. Fantastic with seafood.

Jacques Rouzé Les Grandes Vignes de Villalin Quincy 2019

France (13.5%, Haynes, Hanson & Clark, £13.55/15.25 by the case/ single bottle price)

From one of the Sancerre satellites in the Loire, this white is a very classy sauvignon blanc that is thick with flavours of grass and nettles with an elderflower lift. So good at the end of a hot day.

Lagar de Cervera Albariño 2019

Rías Baixas, Spain (12.5%, Waitrose, £13.99, waitrose cellar.com and in 44 branches only) Grown on north-west Spain’s Atlantic coast, albariño is a joy in summer. This version is crisp and poised with a refreshing salinity and a backdrop of white peach flavours. Get out the crab, the octopus or the cheesy croquetas.

Vincent & Tania Carême Spring Vouvray Sec 2018 Loire, France (12.5%, Berry

Bros & Rudd, £14.95) Spring is an apt name for a wine that dances and charms and couldn’t be more unlike so much of the (sweetish, insipid) vouvray we see around. Just off-dry, with flavours that are reminiscent of quince and apple and pear orchards, it shows how lyrical chenin blanc can be.

Florent Rouve MâconLugny Les Crays Vers Vaux 2018 Burgundy, France (13%,

Waitrose, £19.99, waitrosecellar.com only) Florent Rouve worked with legend Jean Rijckaert, taking over the estate when Rijckaert retired in 2013. This is a chardonnay that combines serious elegance with flavour, gentle oak, a texture that comes from the use of wild yeasts and an understated honeyed note.

Joachim Flick Hochheimer Victoriaberg Riesling

Kabinett 2018 Rheingau, Germany (8.5%, The Winery in Maida Vale, London but not online, £21.99) This glorious Kabinett riesling is from a vineyard that was named after Queen Victoria who visited in 1845. It’s not dry, but it’s not sickly sweet either, more like the succulent sweetness of nectarines blitzed with stewed Bramley apples.