Unsurprisingly, my pals at all times count on me to deliver a good bottle of wine every time I come to remain, however they don’t typically specify what color it must be. The opposite week, nevertheless, one pal pleaded plaintively: “Pleeease may you deliver some white – we at all times appear to be working out.”
That’s a state of affairs wherein I, too, often discover myself, particularly right now of 12 months, once I’m not fairly into full rosé mode, however am consuming brisker, lighter meals than I used to be only a month in the past. The difficulty is that white wine is extra Marmite than purple: folks will let you know they hate chardonnay, they’re uninterested in sauvignon blanc and/or that they discover riesling too candy – and, in fact, that pure wines are too bizarre.
Grape varieties should not uniform, although. Your chardonnay-hater, as an example, might effectively like chablis and your sauvignon-sceptic sancerre (although they might not be capable to afford it lately), whereas riesling might be dry in addition to candy (and is especially good with spicier meals reminiscent of Thai).
Additionally, some whites are much less divisive than others – I hardly ever come throughout anybody who dislikes albariño or picpoul, say. And when you really feel that pinot grigio is a little bit of a cop-out, you’ll most likely get away with a verdicchio dei castelli di Jesi (Morrisons has a good one in its The Greatest vary), and for a lot the identical value. Rueda, in the meantime, would possibly strike your hosts as cooler than sauvignon blanc, however the truth is isn’t that dissimilar in character, and plenty of bottles from the area embody it: rioja producer Beronia makes a good one which’s at the moment on provide at Waitrose for £6.99, and that might work very well with in-season asparagus.
Now can also be the right time of 12 months for English white wines, which are typically gentle and low in alcohol, making them excellent with younger goat or sheep cheeses, leafy salads and herbs reminiscent of tarragon and chervil. And when you've got pals who're into wine, you’ll get additional brownie factors for bringing alongside bottles that includes extra uncommon grape varieties reminiscent of Sicily’s carricante or from lesser-known wine-producing areas such because the Savoie white in immediately’s choose, which is comprised of the uncommon jacquère.
Do keep in mind, too, that white wine typically advantages from being drunk younger – most cheaper wines are already on to the 2021 classic, although 2020s ought to nonetheless be tasting recent, particularly in the event that they’re bottled beneath screw-cap. And do not forget that, whereas they need to be served chilly, they shouldn’t be over-chilled, otherwise you’ll dumb down the flavour.
4 recent whites to present pals
Specifically Chosen Picpoul de Pinet 2021£6.49 Aldi, 12.5%. Picpoul’s been creeping up in value these days, however this newest Aldi classic is a cut price.
Eidos de Padriñán Albariño 2020£15.95 (or £13.95 as a part of a combined case) Lea & Sandeman, 13%. Actually beautiful: crisp, recent and saline. Excellent for seafood.
The Society’s English White 2021£8.50 The Wine Society, 12%. There’s no higher time of 12 months to drink English wine, and that is an unusually well-priced instance. Strive it with a crab sandwich.
Domaine de L’Idylle Cruet Vieilles Vignes 2021£14.90 Yapp Brothers, 11.5%. A fragile, crisp, alpine white from under-the-radar Savoie. Can be excellent with oysters, or with cheese.
For extra by Fiona Beckett, go to matchingfoodandwine.com
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