10 best white wines for summertime sipping, from riesling to chardonnay

Best: Australian white wine

Rating: 9/10

• ABV: 13.5%
• Size: 75cl

As Australia’s most widely planted white grape, chardonnay grows right the way across the country’s 60-odd wine regions to incredibly diverse effect. This particularly graceful offering hails from the Port Phillip Estate on the Mornington Peninsula, where sea breezes and a cool climate result in wines defined by high acidity. And while there’s certainly a steely quality behind this medium-bodied white, there’s plenty more to excite the palate, too, with stone fruit and grapefruit prominent as well as toasty accents of vanilla and oak, which add a savoury edge that lingers long into the finish. A really impressive wine to open with friends this summer.

Best: Entry-level excellence

Rating: 9/10

• ABV: 13%
• Size: 75cl

According to Aldi, around 100 bottles of its Greek assyrtiko sold every hour following its launch a couple of summers ago and – judging by this single-vineyard offering from the mountains of northern Greece – it’s easy to see why. Extremely well-priced, this charismatic wine showcases all the hallmarks of Greece’s flagship white grape – a racy, high alcohol content offset balanced by high acidity – which is given extra finesse with the addition of a touch of sauvignon blanc. Big on citrus with a touch of passionfruit and an enduring salinity, it pairs beautifully with seafood and is sure to add pep to any summer gathering.

Best: For mussels

Rating: 8/10

• ABV: 12.5%
• Size: 75cl

Having fallen out of fashion for several decades, muscadet – produced in the west of France’s Loire Valley from Melon de Bourgogne grapes – has come roaring back of late. And it’s all thanks to a new wave of winemakers who have upped the quality of a region that saw its reputation hit by overproduction.

This particularly zesty wine comes big on salinity, with its tart citrus and apple notes providing plenty of bite, while a production process that sees the wine spend time in contact with its lees (the sediment produced during fermentation) ensures it has depth and texture. We found its minerality a natural partner for both cooking and drinking with moules marinière, giving a great platform for the quality of the mussels to shine through.

Best: French white wine

Rating: 9/10

• ABV: 13%
• Size: 75cl

We loved this brilliant white burgundy from the region’s Mâconnais district by Olivier Merlin, who – with more than 30 years of experience of these slopes to his name – has become one of the region’s best-loved producers. Made using chardonnay grapes from old vines, this is a complex, well-balanced white with a wonderful depth of flavour. Expect vibrant notes of peach and apple on the nose, a zesty acidity and plenty of juicy fruit on the palate, which is offset by a touch of oak, and – owing to a terroir defined by a high limestone content – there’s a bracing minerality that shines through on its lengthy finish.

Best: Partner for soft cheese

Rating: 9/10

• ABV: 13%
• Size: 75cl

A luscious white from the Loire Valley, this sophisticated sancerre is a vibrant expression of the sauvignon blanc grape from one of the region’s best producers, Joost de Villebois. Line this wine up for summer picnics of goats cheese salads and oysters – both great food pairings thanks to its super-crisp acidity and distinct minerality, which stems from the grapes’ flinty terroir in the upper Loire.

We loved this elegant wine’s bold citrus and gooseberry aromas, well-balanced fruit-forward palate and lengthy finish – all of which add up to a worthy warm-weather favourite at a competitive price.

Best: Dry white wine

Rating: 7/10

• ABV: 12.5%
• Size: 75cl

Another super-competitive supermarket wine offering plenty of bang for the buck, this bone-dry riesling from Western Australia’s Howard Park is a mouth-watering option for summer that’s as fresh as it is aromatic. Made with just a touch of chardonnay, there’s a zippy presence of lime and apple on the nose and an intense, fruit-forward palate with racy citrus and a hint of pepper that’s delivered with a jolt of acidity and a surprisingly lengthy finish. A true easy-drinker for summer, it’s tailor-made for grilled fish but would also complement fragrant Thai dishes.

Best: Italian white wine

Rating: 8/10

• ABV: 13.5%
• Size: 75cl

This cheekily titled Italian wine comes courtesy of Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine, the family-run Italian winery founded by the Pasqua brothers in Verona in 1925. Rather than sticking to a single vineyard, grape or vintage, they’ve opted to team three varietals together – garganega, pinot blanc and sauvignon blanc – across four vintages grown in the Soave Clasico region to deliver this deliciously complex wine. Coming with a pale golden hue, it offers citrus, chamomile and floral notes on the nose and a structured palate that brings a good hit of minerality, which evolves to provide a beautiful balance of oak and fruit.

Best: British chardonnay

Rating: 7/10

• ABV: 12%
• Size: 75cl

An indicator of just how far the British wine industry has come in recent years, this impressive white from the Bolney Estate in Sussex was the product of the 2020 harvest, which saw warm weather create the perfect ripening conditions for its chardonnay grapes. The result? A zingy, charismatic wine that’s fresh and fruit-forward with enough texture and body to leave a lasting impression. There’s citrus and cut grass on the nose alongside a hint of brioche, a palate of apple, stone fruit and a touch of spice and a crisp, bright finish, making it a great partner for seafood and soft cheese.

Best: Alternative to chardonnay

Rating: 8/10

• ABV: 12.5%
• Size: 75cl

Piedmont’s most exciting white wine region finds a keenly priced expression in this standout effort from the Broglia family, which – clocking in at under £10 – offers a rewarding alternative to chardonnay. Made from 100 per cent cortese grapes, it’s a dry and refreshing wine with ripe peach on the nose and a well balanced palate defined by apple and a hint of almond, whose depth on the finish makes it an incredibly sophisticated aperitif, while it also pairs very well with pesto pasta and grilled vegetables.

Best: Partner for seafood

Rating: 8/10

• ABV: 12.5%
• Size: 75cl

Celebrated Spanish chef José Pizarro imports this excellent roster of white wines from his native Spain, and this blend in particular is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. A 50/50 combination of sauvignon blanc and verdejo, it’s grown in a mountainous corner of Castile-La Mancha which sees the former give zippy acidity and freshness, while the latter delivers fragrant aromatics and depth. Vivid notes of stone fruit and citrus are followed by a complex palate with a strong element of minerality and an intensity that lingers, making it a dry, delicious drop that works particularly well with shellfish.