RAISE A GLASS

I make no apologies that much of the time this space is about my life.

One week I’ll share gin (metaphorically, as I can’t reach your glass from here); some weeks I’ll dilly dally with cocktails.

This week white wine is my thing – two sauvignon blancs and a chardonnay.

I missed my best friend’s wedding because of the dreaded “isolation”.

To say it was a disappointment is an understatement.

But when I was allowed, I asked her to help me taste-test two sauvignon blancs and here we go.

One of the savvie Bs made a lasting impression on my best friend.

“I love it!” she said of M&S Classics No 26 Casablanca Sauvignon Blanc (£8, from, as you’ve probably guessed, Marks & Spencer).

This wine from Chile is indeed rather tasty.

It is crafted by the wine producers Morandé and is refreshingly zesty. It wants to keep on giving with its notes of citrus (think lime) and tropical fruit (think passion fruit). The flavours last, and then they last a little bit more.

We hopped over to New Zealand for a classic sauvignon blanc from Marlborough.

Rimapere Sauvignon Blanc (RRP £18.99, Ocado, Harvey Nichols, waddesdon.org.uk) takes hold of your palate and says hello! I’m here!

The name “rimapere” means five arrows in Maori, and this wine is certainly sharp, succinct and to the point.

The grapes are grown on 24 hectares of vineyards, bought by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild and his wife Ariane. Five arrows is also the Rothschild family emblem. Ah, but what of the wine? Well we sipped it with some slinky dots of brie with crunches of crackers.

The wine paired perfectly. It has aromas of gooseberry, grapefruit and lemon with a delicate floral note. It is perfectly poised for a special best friend occasion.

And finally. In my isolation I poured a glass of chardonnay from Australia.

Andrew Peace Signature Chardonnay 2020 is a decent price at £5.50 from the Co-op (two for £10 until December 14).

Your senses won’t go into overdrive, you’re not going to rave, but you’ll be happy enough with an easy-drinking chard which, with a touch of the semillon grape, has added body.

The wine has apple, citrus, and peachy notes and is a good companion for a stay-at-home Netflix box set.

Jane is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. Find her on social media and online as One Foot in the Grapes.