White wines
Best value
Dealuri Romanian Feteasca Regala
Romania 2020 (£4.99, Aldi)
The native Romanian grape variety feteasca regala here provides a really fragrant, easy-drinking, lowish-alcohol (11.5% abv) white with a juicy floral-tinged melon-and-peachiness that has far more character than we’ve come to expect at this price point.
Tesco Finest Mosel Steep Slopes Riesling
Mosel, Germany 2018 (£7, Tesco)
There’s something profoundly refreshing about good Mosel riesling – something about the energy and softly racy acidity that is like taking a dip in a cool-running stream. This is a great summer evening aperitif, with flavours of fresh green apple and peach.
Lavradores de Feitoria Estrada White
Douro, Portugal (£8, The Co-op)
Portugal’s Douro Valley is much better known for its port and world-class rich reds, but its whites, including white port, can be every bit as interesting. In this case, a blend of local varieties provides a mix of juicy tropical fruitiness and light citrus freshness.
Marks & Spencer Found Moscofilero & Roditis
Greece 2020 (£8.50, Marks & Spencer)
Made by the Semeli winery from grapes sourced in the Peloponnese, this blend of two distinctively delicious Greek white grape varieties is an aromatic charmer, all fragrant blossom floral scents, grapey juiciness and lemony raciness. Very good with fish or chicken with lemony sauces.
Equipo Navazos I Think Manzanilla en Rama
Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Jerez, Spain NV (£10.75, 37.5cl, thewhiskyexchange.com; alliancewine.com)
Equipo Navazos’s limited-release bottlings of old casks from some of their favourite sherry bodegas are deserved cult favourites. This scintillating, unfiltered, savoury flavour-filled dry choice from La Guita has the distinctive fresh saline tang of the manzanilla style.
Isabel Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2019
New Zealand 2019 (£17.95, bbr.com)
At its best, nothing can beat classic New Zealand sauvignon blanc for rejuvenating, spirit-lifting, dry white wine. Isabel Estate’s version is a classic, matching the vivid passion fruit and nervy acidity with extra levels of concentration and vibrancy.
Rafael Palacios Louro Godello
Valdeorras, Galicia, Spain 2019 (from £19.50, woodwinters.com; laywheeler.com; vincognito.co.uk)
If albariño from the region of Rías Baixas has so far led the way in Galicia, there are many other vivacious wines from the Atlantic-cooled corner of north-western Spain. This vividly distinctive godello from Valdeorras, with its lemon tart flavours and cool, racy feel, is a standout.
Best for fish
Le Domaine d’Henri Chablis St-Pierre
Burgundy, France 2017 (from £23, bbr.com; bancroftwines.com)
The kind of elegant, poised and fine-boned dry white that is perhaps most at home at a Michelin-starred white tablecloth restaurant by a river in provincial France. But with its stunning mineral steeliness, it will seriously elevate any fish and seafood dishes of your own.
Rosés
M&S Found Vinho Verde Rosé
Portugal 2020 (£7, Marks & Spencer)
The “green wine” of northern Portugal is best known for its zippy, spritzy whites. But there’s a lot going on in the region, with more serious whites joined by edgy reds and, in this case, a quite delightful, thirst-quenching rosé with candied strawberry and more of that subtle spritz.
Château Minuty M de Minuty
France 2020 (from £11.20, robersonwine.com; majestic.co.uk)
A quintessential Provence rosé, Château M de Minuty is all about the pastel-shaded subtle softness of colour and fruit. Its delicate grapefruit freshness makes for a wine that handles everything from garlicky prawns to salade niçoise and grilled chicken and fish.
Reds
Tesco Beaujolais
France 2020 (£5, Tesco)
Although the region has many other talents, Beaujolais still reigns supreme when it comes to budget summer wines, with Tesco’s version a mix of tart cherry fruitiness, light tannin and crunchy refreshment that’s best after an hour’s sojourn in the fridge.
Best for BBQs
Santa Julia Malbec
Mendoza, Argentina 2020 (£6.50, Waitrose)
The Zuccardi family are one of Argentina’s most consistently high-quality producers, making some of the country’s finest wines at the top end, but also coming up with the goods in this supremely juicy, succulent, fresh and fleshy plum-and cherry-scented malbec.
Waterkloof Seriously Cool Cinsault
Stellenbosch, South Africa 2019 (from £10.79, boutinot.com; rannochscott.co.uk; kwoff.co.uk; woodwinters.com)
Cinsault, the long underrated southern French grape variety, has been enjoying a renaissance all over the world, with South Africa’s old bush vines responsible for many of the best examples. This is a typically crisp, subtly earthy-herby, strawberry-fruited barbie-friendly bottling.
Domaine Cordaillat Reuilly Rouge
Loire, France 2019 (from £14.99, dbmwines.co.uk, bottleapostle.com; robertsandspeight.co.uk)
It may be an effect of global warming, or it may be improved winemaking, either way pinot noir in the Loire is on an upward trajectory, offering, as in this delightful version from Reuilly, a cool, light touch to its tumbling-from-the-punnet soft berries and redcurrant acidity.
Domaine Clusel Roch Traboules
Coteaux du Lyonnais, France 2019 (£15.95, laywheeler.com)
Domaine Clusel Roch are masters of savoury syrah in the northern Rhône’s celebrated Côte-Rôtie appellation. Here they use the grape of Beaujolais, gamay, to superb effect, creating a summer bistro red par excellence, all curranty-crunch, pepper seasoning and fresh acidity.
Celler del Roure Safra
Valencia, Spain 2019 (from £16.95, alliancewine.com; cheerswinemerchants.co.uk; thedrinkshop.com; thefinewinecompany.co.uk)
Made from a rare local variety, mandó, in clay amphorae, this is a wonderfully evocative Mediterranean red, fluent and light (12.5% abv) but full of rosemary and thyme-etched red berry fruit, subtle savouriness, and just a touch of chalky tannin for matching with tomato dishes.
Fizz & champagne
Contero Moscato d’Asti di Strevi
Piedmont, Italy 2020 (£14.60, lokiwine.co.uk; libertywines.co.uk)
Is there a more joyful wine in the world than moscato from Asti? I’ve yet to find something that so closely matches the feeling of waking up on a sunny summer morning you find in wines such as this lively and lovely, gently foaming cocktail of sweet peach, muscat grape and summer meadow scents.
Morrisons The Best English Sparkling Wine Grand Vintage Brut
England 2010 (£18, Morrisons)
Age doesn’t always mean beauty with sparkling wine, but this is a great example of what a little maturation time can bring. It’s surprisingly serious stuff for a sub-£20 bottle of English fizz, with layers of patisserie creaminess and toast dovetailing so well with that characteristically English, acidic zip.
Pierre Paillard Les Parcelles Bouzy Grand Cru XV
Champagne, France NV (from £35.82, justerinis.com; thewhiskyexchange.com)
Named for the 22 different parcels of vineyard in the top-rated “grand cru” village of Bouzy, this is a fabulous example of Champagne’s exciting grower-producer movement. It’s a wine that shines brightly with its combination of ripe yellow plums, rapier acidity and minerals.
Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé
Champagne NV (from £55, jeroboams.co.uk; laithwaites.co.uk)
One of Champagne’s most consistent performers, Billecart-Salmon’s meticulous approach is particularly effective when it comes to rosé, with the house’s brut non-vintage an effortlessly stylish affair that trades in subtle washes of wild strawberries and cream and the glide of the finest bubbles and acidity.
