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Wines of the week: Seven spring white wines to drink now

As we enter a rather milder April, it still feels acceptable to make the move into lighter food, which need wines to match: zingy, fresh and fruity

Terry Kirby
Friday 30 March 2018 16:20 BST
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From classic sauvignon blanc to unusual Croatian varieties, these are the grapes to enjoy now and in the coming months
From classic sauvignon blanc to unusual Croatian varieties, these are the grapes to enjoy now and in the coming months

The weather forecast for this Easter weekend is a bit uncertain but hey, it’s now April, and surely we must be in for some milder weather, on a more regular basis than the odd day or two. So it’s definitely time for some fresher, aromatic whites, with little or no oak ageing, suitable for lighter foods and salads.

And of course for many that means sauvignon blanc, whose grassy, zesty, gooseberry freshness is inexorably associated with spring, and, although we are still a few weeks away from the first spears, is one of the few grapes that work well with asparagus. Sauvignon blanc is also a great aperitif – the first refreshing glass after a hard day, from a bottle in the fridge door, is hard to beat. For this, there are many budget choices but, having not been expecting very much, the So Organic Sauvignon Blanc (£6.50 Sainsburys.co.uk) came as a pleasant surprise for quality and price: made from Spanish organic grapes over the border in southern France, it’s appropriately zingy and zesty and basically does what it says on the label. There are literally oceans of other sauvignon blancs at all price points and of generally high quality to choose from, but if you are seeking something a bit more special and complex, a recent tasting highlight is the Blank Canvas Sauvignon Blanc 2016 £16.95 Kwmwine.com; various independents), a very typical New Zealand Marlborough wine, where the mineral grassiness is overlaid with more tropical flavours of guava, passionfruit and green herbal notes. Definitely one for the first asparagus or shellfish.

Similarly mineral and palate cleansing but a bit more restrained and delicate, derived from grapes grown at high altitude in the Uco Valley in Argentina, is the Dona Paula Estate Uco Valley Riesling £11.99 Allaboutwine.co.uk; £12.12 corkingwines.co.uk); lovely citrus flavours and floral notes, with a surprisingly long finish. Ideal with a baked sea bass.

Moving on to more aromatic whites, the picpoul grape from southern France is climbing rapidly up the fashionability ladder (as perhaps sauvignon is moving slowly down). Try the Domaine de Morin-Langaran Picpoul de Pinet 2015, (£7.99; normally £9.99, Ministryofdrinks.co.uk) which is aromatic, tangy, with vibrant flavours of yellow melon and pears and just very slightly saline, therefore a perfect match for oysters and other shellfish.

So much for conventional whites, but let’s think a little out of the box for some other spring whites to revive and tantalise our pallets. Croatia, along with other parts of the Eastern Meditteranean, has become a great source of interesting white wines, made from obscure grapes like grk (nope, I can’t pronounce it either) and posip. These wines are complex and multi-layered, but simultaneously mineral and vibrant; ideal for rich or barbecued fish dishes but also substantial enough for roast chicken and cooler spring evenings. Here, posip, is blended with another local grape, vugava, and a small amount of chardonnay in the intriguing Jako Vino Stina Cuvee (£13.38 Corkingwines.co.uk; £15.95 Novelwines.co.uk) which hails from the idyllic island of Brac, with apricot and melon flavours and some rich tropical fruits; utterly different from most European whites. From the Istria region comes Matosevic, Alba Malvazija Istarska 2016 (£16.99 Henningswine.co.uk £81.8 for case of six, Thefinewinecompany.co.uk) which has piquant flavours of quince and lime, with a distinct, smokey bitter-almond note. Dinner party conversation point: it’s made from the malvasia grape, more often used for sweet wines in Sicily and elsewhere in the Mediterranean, and was known as malmsey when it was much drunk in England in Elizabethan times.

And talking of unusual combinations, the muscat grape and its variations may well be the oldest grape variety known, principally as a sweet, plump, aromatic table grape. But, like malvasia, it also makes gorgeously luscious dessert wines and some very aromatic dry wines, which also work brilliantly with simple fruit puddings. In southern Chile, grapes from 100-year-old muscat vines have been paired with the rare and extremely lemony corinto grape in the Colina Del Itata (£10 Marksandspencer.com) to fabulous, vibrant, palate-tingling effect; the fresh, light, citrus flavours balancing the aromatic, fulsome muscat, with its scents of fruits and flowers. Great as a very different aperitif – the lemon notes work particularly well with fishy canapes or even with Thai foods. It could be the ultimate spring wine.

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