Three great value European white wines
By Richard Esling. Richard is an experienced wine consultant, agent, writer and educator. A wine importer and distributor for many years, he runs a wine agency and communications company called WineWyse, is an International Wine Judge and experienced Wine Journalist. www.winewyse.com
With summer just around the corner (we hope!) here are three of my recommendations for easy-drinking white wines from Europe, which are not only great value but also full of character and charm, suitable for a refreshing glass on its own or paired with light summery dishes.
All three wines are supplied by The Wine Society, a wine club owned by its members. Indeed, The Wine Society has just made a pledge to its members to hold the prices on 500 or so of its wines, despite huge pressures on costs from inflation, energy prices and packaging materials worldwide. Stepping outside the comfort zone of Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc, my three whites are mainly from grape varieties which are lesser known, albeit sometimes blended with a little of the more often encountered varieties to achieve overall balance.
The first of my three chosen wines is Saleta Moscatel Sauvignon Blanc
2022 from Spain. A very modern Spanish white produced in a state-of-the-art winery, the vineyards are located near the Mediterranean Sea in the region of Alicante. New World winemaking techniques brought to the Old World with great success. Pamela Geddes is the Scottish born winemaker whose experience comes from winemaking in Australia. The grapes for this wine are the very aromatic Muscat with the addition of 15% Sauvignon Blanc. The attractive aroma of fresh grapes leaps from the glass, the palate being fresh, crisp and zippy. Dry Muscat at its best at an amazing of £7.75.
My second wine is an unusual Italian from the region near Ravenna, sadly in the news recently with the devastating floods in the Emilia-Romagna area. TreRè Re Famoso Bianco Ravenna 2022 is another very aromatic wine, with delightful perfume of spring flowers, cherry blossom and honeysuckle. Famoso
is a rare, nearly extinct grape variety recently saved, but with records dating back to the fifteenth century. Blended with a little chardonnay for balance, this is a fabulously quaffable wine, with flavours of white peach, fresh apricot jam and a hint of citrus pink grapefruit. A delicious wine fast becoming one of my favourite Italians. Well structured, fresh, soft, versatile, dry white. £9.75.
The third wine is from France and a grape variety, which though certainly not rare, is not so often seen as a single varietal on the label. Grenache Blanc Domaine du Bosc 2022 is from the sunny Languedoc, the vineyards being on volcanic soil close to the Mediterranean once more. Grenache Blanc is a mutation of the better-known Grenache Noir or Garnacha in Spain and originates from a mutation of the red variety back in medieval times in the Barcelona/Tarragona region of Spain. Grown prolifically in the Rhone valley, Grenache Blanc is also found around the Mediterranean and makes interesting wines in many New World regions.
Domaine du Bosc is on the slopes of a small hill originally volcanic, the whole region being subject to volcanic activity a million or so years ago, some underwater. This particular terroir gives the wines structure and body yet remaining mellow and fresh from the maritime influence. A delicious medium-bodied summery dry white, with lemon zest and wild herb hints. Very well priced at £7.95. Perfect as an aperitif, with courgette and goats cheese quiche or a ratatouille with poached eggs.