13homestyle
Summer whites...
Something refreshing for blue-sky days
I
T'S time to roll out the whites �
well that's usually my general
rule of thumb: reds, sturdy or
delicate for the winter, and
deliciously refreshing whites for the
summer depending on mood and
meals.
But when the sun shines down on
the patio and the barbecue comes out
then you can't beat a dreamy white,
dry or fairly sweet.
Here's a glass to two of the best:
Chablis and Sancerre.
Both French and made from
entirely different grapes.
Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
And if you splash the cash well,
sometimes under a tenner a bottle,
what you should get is a drop of
liquid gold.
Chablis is actually the name of a
small French burgundy village; the
wine is chardonnay but being French
doesn't have to say so on the label as
this is where the grape originates.
Chardonnay today, grown
everywhere, is the world's most
popular white wine; it's also the
main grape for champagne drawing
some of its distinctive quality from
the oak barrel but for many equally
enjoyable unoaked.
This grape's Holy Grail continues
to be its spiritual home of Burgundy
bearing prestigious names such as
Chablis, Mersault and a certain
Puligny Montrachet but with often
stratospheric prices.
Which is why many bless the New
World for their chardonnay love
affair � mainly Australia and to a
lesser degree New Zealand,
California and South Africa.
Not only that but they also know
exactly what they're buying because
it says so on the label.
But one person's chardonnay is not
necessarily another's: New and Old
World tastes are different.
Chablis (and chardonnay
elsewhere in Burgundy) tends to be
more elegant and lighter than the
bigger more buttery whites of
Australia where more sun ripens the
grape quicker. Most are deliciously
dry, vanilla creamy and crisp with
characteristic tropical fruit flavours
but for me the likes of Chablis and
Mersault have a taste of flint, a steely
kind of X-factor which makes is so
special and different.
But whether you like flint, apple,
pineapple, toast or nuts, with a very
hot summer promised it's timely to
do the chardonnay round from New
to Old World.
Prices are more than reasonable,
don't be put off by French labels,
and if you find a humble bottle
of bourgogne (chardonnay)
bearing such a famous name as
Louis Jadot then so much the
better as it's often just as good
at a fraction of the cost � still a
greeny gold goddess and liquid
gold on the palate.
Which brings me to a white
which just at the moment I
probably adore more than
chardonnay � Sancerre, from
France's beautiful Loire valley
which also produces the
celebrated Pouilly Fume.
Both are made from
sauvignon blanc, still dry and
crisp but a little bit more
aromatic or tarty! If you like
gooseberries then you will love
sauvignon such as the Sancere.
Gooseberry for me is a
dominant flavour tantalising the
palate and lingering in the
throat. You may also find
aromas of freshly cut grass,
nettles and various fruit but
don't be put off by one colourful
description "cat's pee on a
gooseberry bush" � but believe
me it doesn't taste anything like
that! Special again not too
expensive. Germany and Alsace
also add their name to the
classic whites (from Riesling) �
don't be put off by names such
as gewurztraminer! � and for a
sweet taste you can't beat
Spatlese or Auslese � thanks to
the noble rot!
Plenty of reasonably good
whites from South America
while Italy's light, fruity fresh
pinot grigio is a darlings of the
ladies. My advice this summer
is to shop around for a bit more
class and finesse even if it
means paying a penny or two
more.
Alan
Irving
ENJOYING A TASTE OF GOLD IN THE SUMMER: Alan Irving suggests a
sensual cool chardonnay for those summer days. Wine courtesy of Tesco

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