The Hour

We’re halfway through the summer months and it’s time to break out the fresh white wines. There are no oak barrels involved and no long maturing of the wines, they’re just fresh and vibrant and great to enjoy in the sun.

Wine expert Tom Cannavan had three of the best summer whites from France, Austria and Spain to tickle your tastebuds.

First up was a French wine, Picpoul do Pinet 2010. Picpoul is a specialty grape of the Languedoc region in the south of France near the Spanish border.

It’s a really fresh and almost salty wine with tasting cues of lemon and apple, and it goes really well with seafood and shellfish. It also makes a good aperitif, and on offer at two for £5 until July 19 from the Tesco Finest range, it’s definitely a bargain.

Next was Austrian wine Gruner Veltliner 2010. This wine is made with Groovy Gru-V grapes and has a delightful taste of apples and pears. Tom said:

“It’s very fresh and has lots of acidity but that’s because you really need the right food with it. Put fish or seafood with it and it’s a really versatile food wine.”

These kinds of wines are quite powerful and have a distinctive hint of pepper and a finish that can vary from medium-sweet to bone dry. A snip at £7.99 from the Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference range.

Lastly was Albarino Martin Codax 2010 Rias Baixas from the north-east of Spain, where the Atlantic brings cool conditions and plenty of wet weather. This wine has lovely leafy flavours and is complemented by the taste of ripe fruit.

Tasting cues are leafy green herbs and melon and the wine goes best with fish and seafood. It also goes well with vegetarian lasagne and moussaka. This lovely fruity wine costs £11.99 from Majestic, and if you buy two bottles you’ll pay £9.99 for each one, saving yourself £4.

For more wine tips and information see the Wine Pages website.