“A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.” – Louis Pasteur
White wine is really important to us. After all Champagne is frequently a blend of several white wine grapes, carefully cherry-picked by a cru, to yield an exquisite sparkling wine. In our humble opinion, an intimate understanding of white wine viticulture is hence essential to mastering the “traditional method” (méthode champagnoise) of Champagne fermentation. Here we explore a variety of white wines that we have sampled. Be they the stable staple of supermarket shelves, a more obscure vintage or an emerging and modern vino, we hope you’ll find something you like.
Sacchetto Pinot Grigio Blush (Italy)
Bubbly’s take… We believe good wine is like great music – if it hits the right notes then it can create the perfect mood and atmosphere. That’s exactly what we found with this evocative Italian wine. It comes from the bottle in a warming shade of magnolia. The Sacchetto is a Pinot Grigio yet it’s…
Pique-Nique (France)
Bubbly’s take… Yes, we did have to Google Translate the name of this wine and yes – it does mean “Picnic”. This striking white wine is produced by Benjamin Darnault, who is something of a prodigal wine-maker from France. We tried the 2019 Pique-Nique, which is a real ‘no-nonsense’ white wine. It has a rich…
Carlos Rodrigues Albarino (Spain)
Bubbly’s take… This one is another fine find from Naked Wines and one we’re very happy to award the Ten of Diamonds to. This is quite a demure wine but it is certainly refreshing and well-rounded. The Albarino also has good depth of flavour, with a fruity undercurrent. We also found traces of apples so…
Gianfranco a Serena Cordero Gavi del di Gavi (Italy)
Bubbly’s take… This stunning Gavi di Gavi brings a crisp, zesty and pleasing taste to the palate. Best served suitably-chilled, this wine is both delicate and characterful. The Gavi region has an esteemed wine-producing reputation, having cultivated its signature Cortese grapes since the 17th century. A real pleasure to share and drink, we loved this…
Small and Small Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand)
Bubbly’s take… This refreshing Sauvignon Blanc hails from a very small Marlborough winery (- no pun intended; Claudia Small and Bill Small are the masterminds behind it). Despite this wine’s humble origins, it made a big splash with us. Being part of the New World, Small and Small have produced a playful and original Sauvignon…
Janus Pinot Grigio (Italy)
Bubbly’s take… This dearly beloved white wine represents another fine example of enlightened Italian wine-making. Made in the Veneto region of Italy, the Janus Pinot Grigio offers a floral bouquet and fruity bouquet. The Romans portrayed Janus as a two-faced deity but we think this enchanting wine is anything but deceptive. It’s a clear, direct…
Me & Monsieur Jones Blanc (France)
Bubbly’s take… This quintessential white wine is made by a talented expatriate wine-maker in a sunny corner of southern France. When misfortune struck this winery, Angel Wines stepped in to get them back in business and refining their fare. This wine has a clean, delicate and citrussy flavour, being particularly refreshing when well-chilled. Would go…
Spier Sauvignon Blanc (South Africa)
Bubbly’s take… This Sauvignon Blanc hails from the New World though that’s a little hard to believe given the Spier winery has been in business for over 300 years! Placing emphasis on ecological and community sustainability and value, Spier seem to have an aptitude for making good wine that you can feel good about drinking.…
La Burgondie Bourgogne Aligoté (France)
Bubbly’s take… This crisp white wine is produced by a relatively new wine cooperative that harvests wine across a large region extending between Dijon and Lyon, with an express and equitable commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability. The Aligoté carries a fresh, brisk and lemony flavour. It’s a refreshingly dry wine that is a pleasure…
Dom Maxwell Riesling (New Zealand)
Bubbly’s take… This Riesling is a real mid-week wonder. We enjoyed this on a Tuesday evening over dinner. This is a deliciously soft white wine. It has a lovely floral flavour, with a subtle hint of water melon. What we really like about this one is the absence of an acidic or acrid aftertaste; it…
Christian Patat Grecanico Bianco (Italy)
Bubbly’s take… In our view, Christian Patat is an established alchemist of wine. This sagely wine-producer has already garnered a reputation as a wine-producing consultant, who knows where to snap-up the best grapes for his bottles. The Grecanico certainly does not disappoint and evokes warm memories of Tuscan countryside. This fabulous white wine is however…
Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand)
Bubbly’s take… So… while we did (in fact) drink this wine, we used it as an additional ingredient in a yummy vegetarian paella. It’s a crisp, refreshing and punchy Sauvignon Blanc, from a well-recognised winery. It’s definitely not just any old “cooking wine”. This Sauvignon Blanc is something to enjoy before cooking, while cooking and…
JP Chenet Sauvignon Blanc (France)
Bubbly’s take… Can you not tell from the size of the bottle?? We picked this one up when it was our turn to cook and we needed to make pasta in flash (- a nice linguine recipe from Gino D’Campo). This punchy and fruity Sauvignon Blanc is widely available, and brought a deep and quenching…
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