ON THE GRAPEVINE

Hello heatwave! Blue skies and long, lazy days mean we’re thirsty for some stylish whites to sit and sip in the sun.

Andrew Peace Chardonnay 2020, Victoria, Australia, £5.50, Co-op stores

Mellow lime on the nose mingles with yellow fruits, and its juicy, tropical palate and hint of pineapple is enhanced by citrusy freshness. A splash of semillon lends richness and a delicious reminder of how a ripe chardonnay can charm.

Cambalala Grenache Blanc 2020, Western Cape, South Africa, £6.49, Aldi

A lively fruit salad of tangy green fruits, ripe guava, juicy spiced pear fruit and lemon peel, this gold nugget from South Africa really hits the spot, with a brilliant balance of concentrated flavours and refreshing acidity closing the finish.

Ponte de Lima Loureiro, Vinho Verde 2020, Portugal, £6.95, The Wine Society

Young, fresh and sprightly with a seam of spritz to give it a lovely lift, this vinho verde dances on the palate. Fresh aromas of lemon and lime blossom, backed by pear and stone fruits with a happy, zippy finish make it a perfectly poised Portuguese for summertime sipping.

Torres Vina Esmeralda 2020, Catalonia, Spain, £9, Tesco

A delightful, off-dry style with blossomy fruit crowned with fragrant florals, this blend of gewurztraminer and muscat brings the best of both worlds together, with heady notes of honeysuckle, orange blossom, lychee and roses. It’s soft and silky and the intensity of ripe, stone fruits is balanced by light acidity.

Cantina Goccia Celi, Umbria, Italy, £12.50, Woodwinters

Cantina Goccia was one of the first wineries to use the Frugal Bottle made from

94% recycled paperboard.

Five times lighter than the average bottle, it’s a joy to hold and drink. An invigorating blend of grechetto, vermentino and chardonnay, the wine is full of lemony notes, blossom, white peach and sage, underlying minerality and a lovely floral lift on the fruity finish.