DRINK DIFFERENT - SPAIN’S SAUVIGNON BLANC

Sauvignon Blanc remains a popular choice from the wine list, especially from New Zealand, which with its cooler climate (especially in the region of Marlborough) delivers melon and tangy grapefruit flavours, alongside the more traditional grass and lemon notes.  It is a grape which also offers the zingy freshness that comes from a healthy level of acidity.

But if you are seeking an alternative to the Sauvignon norm, but still love that mouth-watering freshness, then head to the Spanish region of Rueda, and in particular its indigenous Verdejo grape.  A cousin of the better-known Albariño grape of the northwest region of Galicia, Verdejo has citrus and grassy aromas galore.

Verdejo was once made into half-oxidised, sherry-like wines in Rueda, but now the region is using the grape to make exciting, lighter, fresh wines which are perfectly suited to the early summer.