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Dry Loire Chenin Blanc

Many people today get their

rst taste of

Chenin Blanc through South African wines.

But the home of this versatile grape is

France's Loire Valley, where it iss used for

dry, medium and sweet wines (and some

decent

zz). The dry wines used to be a little

forbidding and needed time to relax, but in

recent times, there seems to have been a

collective pulling up of chaussettes, resulting

in plenty of wines like these two gems.

Vincent Carême Vouvray Sec 'Spring' 2012

(£11.48-£12.76, Asda Wine Club, Vinoteca)

A sprightly youngster, with crisp green apple

and citrus peel ƒavours rounded out by

honeyed cooked apple richness. Try it

with a goat's cheese or chicken salad.

Domaine du Petit Métris Savennières

'Clos de la Marche' 2010

(£13.95, allabout wine.co.uk)

A richer, fuller style, with plush baked apple,

honey and marzipan ƒavours underpinned by

zingy citrus fruit and tense mineral freshness,

with a subtle smoky note from oak ageing.

Try this with simply prepared crab or lobster.

Valpolicella

The area to the east of Lake Garda in

northern Italy is home to (red) Valpolicella

and (white) Soave. With both, it's best to

Spice up your summer with a peppery Italian red or

keep things fresh with Austrian whites and zingy Chenin

B lan c f ro m Fr an ce. B e s t to have s o m e � z z o n han d to o…

WORDS SIMON WOODS

what to

drink now

avoid the bargain-basement and pay a

little more for something special. Good

Valpolicella is an excellent summer red,

with plenty of ƒavour but also with the

juicy freshness you crave on a warm day.

Allegrini Valpolicella 2013

(£9.95, The Wine Society)

A vibrant wine packed with perky young

fruit: fresh dark cherries pepped up with

a twist of pepper and the aroma of ƒowers

and herbs. Won't object to 20 minutes in

the fridge, but also won't mind being given

a swirl in a large glass to release its charms.

Perfect with a few slices of salami.

Bussola Valpolicella Ripasso

Superiore 2010

(£22/£17 when you buy two, Majestic)

Wines labelled Ripasso are given extra

oomph by being 're-passed' over the

grapeskins that have been used for other

wines - a bit like pouring an already made

cup of tea over a used tea-bag. The result is

a bolder and ƒeshier wine, but this excellent

example still has a fresh edge alongside the

abundant cherry and plum fruit, plus a bitter

almond tang to the

nish. Drink with cold

roast meats and hard cheeses.

English Sparkling Wine

In case you hadn't noticed, our native

sparkling wine is on something of a roll.

With similar soils, similar grapes and similar

methods as those found in Champagne,

it's unsurprising that many of the wines

bear more than a passing resemblance to

France's

nest

zz. However, there's often a

hedgerow wildness in the wines that speaks

of their origins on this side of the Channel…

Chapel Down Rosé Brut NV, Kent

(£25.99, Selfridges)

A gentle, friendly style, crisp but rounded,

with easy strawberry and raspberry ƒavours,

a hint of vanilla and a touch of musky

elderƒower on the

nish. Perfect picnic pink.

Hattingley Valley Classic Cuvée 2011,

Hampshire

(£26.95-£29.99 Avery's, slurp.co.uk, Wine Utopia)

The

rst release from a vineyard that was

only planted in 2008, this Chardonnay-based

wine is re

ned and elegant, with cooked

green apple and pear ƒavours, a warm

doughy character that reminds me of slightly

uncooked cake-mix and a crisp, nutty

nish.

Good now, but if you can keep your hands

o—, it'll be even better next summer.

Austrian Grüner

Veltliner

It's been a favourite of the wine trade for

several years now, but Grüner Veltliner hasn't

made much of an impact on the general

public. That's a shame, as this is a grape for

our times, capable of everything from crisp,

tense, seafood-friendly whites to bolder,

peachier wines, all the while with a whi— of

white pepper never too far from the surface.

Kudos to MšS and Sainsbury's for listing

this tasty twosome - go and buy them,

otherwise they'll be elbowed o— the

shelves by yet more Pinot Grigio.

Rabl Grüner Veltliner 2012, Kamptal

(£8.99, Marks Š Spencer)

Sets the crispness and tang of tangerine

against richer peach and pear ƒavours, and

adds in an exotic note of candied spice for

good measure. Lovely by itself, but would

go well with simple grilled

sh or a light

vegetable risotto.

Sainsbury's Taste the Diˆerence Grüner

Veltliner 2013, Niederösterreich

(£7.50, Sainsbury's)

Appealingly zippy wine, with peachy richness

and citrus bite in delicious partnership, and

notes of white pepper, too. A fuller style than

the MšS version, this was delicious with a

salmon and asparagus tart.

I

n winter, you want wines that give you bear hugs. In summer, however, it's

lightness and life you look for, in both reds and whites. Chenin Blanc from its

home in France and Grüner Veltliner from Austria both deserve more attention

than they receive. The examples I've chosen are fresh and lively, with enough

personality to take on the bright ƒavours of summer. For reds, Valpolicella tastes

good all year round, but comes into its own in summer. And to mourn our failure

at the World Cup in Brazil, I've gone patriotic and chosen a couple of wines from

the growing number of excellent English sparklers.

ILLUSTRATION: ANDREA D'AQUINO