Coto de Gomariz The flower and the bee, Spain 2021 (from £16.95, Fortnum & Mason; thegoodwineshop.co.uk) At this point in the summer, we’re all in vacation mode, even if that means pining for the beach from work rather than making it there. So this week’s picks are designed to get you to your desired destination without enduring 20-mile traffic jams, check-in queues or flight cancellations: a range of warm southern whites from Europe which I like to think of as a vacation micro-doses. The first stop is Galicia in north-west Spain, not yet a Costa hotspot on the British holidaymaker’s Spanish trail, though, with its rugged Atlantic coastline, Celtic, Cornish or Breton, it really should be. Two picks that epitomize the freshness and verve of the region’s best white wines: The company’s Albariño exhibit, Rías Baixas 2021 (£14.95, thewinesociety.com), is a classic take on the fruity, pitted succulence of the Galician albariño; while The Flower and the Bee is a charming combination of citrus, melon and floral notes.
Tesco Finest Soave Classico Superiore, Italy 2021 (£7.50, Tesco) As far as France, and all is not rosy on the Côte d’Azur. The rolle grape, AKA vermentino, makes decidedly crisp and airy, slightly peachy dry whites, whether in the cheap and cheerful form of Waitrose’s Journey to the South Vermentino (£6.29) or Domaine de la Source tout altogether smarter, richer yet graceful 2019 Bellet Blanc (£27.50, yapp.co.uk). Vermentino is also responsible for some of the best summer white wines in western Italy. Winemaking superstar Alberto Antonini has a typically well-done example: Pontenari Bianco, Toscana 2021 is all zesty and tangy with grapefruit and lime bursting on the palate. To the northeast, the wines of Soave offer a mellow, hazier view of the Italian summer. Two to try: Tesco’s Golden Apple-scented Classico and Pieropan Soave Classico 2021 (£20.99, or £17.99 as part of a mix of six, majestic.co.uk), a tincture of zest of lemon, pear, green olive and fine dill -like grass.
Domaine Gerovassiliou Malagousia, Greece 2021 (from £16.30, trictlywine.co.uk; nywines.co.uk; thegoodwineshop.co.uk; uncorked.co.uk) For those dreaming of a summer vacation on the eastern side of southern Europe, Vina Laguna Malvasia 2021 (£12.50, or 10.95 as part of a case of 12, leaandsandeman.co.uk) is a living example of the fresh and aromatic Malvasia (or Malvazija) grape variety from Croatia. Greece, however, remains the most popular holiday destination in South East Europe for Brits, and the wine scene on the mainland and the islands is currently at a particularly exciting stage in its development. Marks & Spencer Found Moschofilero Roditis 2021 (£8.50), made for M&S by Semeli in the Peloponnese, is great value with its citrus flavors and subtle floral scent like a very elegant lemon squash, while a long-time favorite of this column, Malagousia from Domaine Gerovassiliou, is in great shape in the latest 2021 vintage, a gorgeous white peach and pear wine laced with notes of lemon trees and pine forests.
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