Whites

The Elgin Valley is one of the coolest regions in South Africa and is famous for making wonderfully refreshing and classy white wines.

Fragrance of pure white grapefruit, intense tropical fruit, ripe gooseberry and fleshy kiwi fruit over-lay Iona’s distinctive herbal and floral undertone. The palate is keenly balanced showing cut green apples and lime marmalade followed by great minerality and length.

Country: South Africa

Region: Elgin

ABV: 13.5%

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc.

At 420m above sea-level, set high above the picturesque Elgin Valley, Iona includes some of the coolest vineyards in the Cape. This creates an extremely long growing season, harvesting up to 2 months after Stellenbosch, which results in diverse, complex flavours and fresh, elegant wines. The philosophy at Iona is to make wines that reflect the soil and climate as closely as possible. They make use of sustainable farming methods and use natural products wherever possible in the winemaking.

Fresh, zippy and zesty from native Portuguese grape Fernão Pires. Medium lemon yellow in colour. On the nose: citrus and pear, mineral, developed petrol notes and
hints of the wood. The palate is dry, firm and intense. Well structured, good texture, clean
and fresh. Long and moreish finish.

Country: Portugal

Region: Lisboa

Grapes: Fernão Pires

ABV: 13.5%

Ageing “sur lie” with regular sterling in barrels. Bottled Unfiltered.

A stunning bouquet of floral notes and soft citrus fruits.

A fresh and dry white wine, crisp floral notes with hints of underlying minerality, leading through to a piercingly pure finish.

Country: Italy

Region: Piedmont

ABV: 12.5%

Grapes:  100% Cortese

Food Match:  Light cheeses, shellfish

Vegan/Vegetarian

Tenuta Olim Bauda is one of Piedmont's top producers, run by the Bertolino Family since the 1960's. After Sr. Bertolino died in 1985, the winery shut for 15 years. But in 2000, his 3 children bought back what was sold off and have successfully revived the estate and the Tenute Olim Bauda name.

Delicately perfumed, ripe melon fruit on the nose. The palate is weighty and ripe but remains fresh and saline. A crowd pleaser but a very well made one.

Country: France

Region: AOP PICPOUL DE PINET

ABV: 12.5%

Grapes:  100% Picpoul Blanc

Cave de l'Ormarine's vineyards lie at approximately 40 metres above sea level on a chalky clay plateau, rich in Cretaceous limestone and quartz. The vineyards lie to the North of the Lac de Thau and slope towards it. Cyril Payon oversees the production and grapes are carefully selected and picked at different times to capture different flavour profiles. They are de-stemmed and macerated on their skins followed by fermentation for approximately 2 weeks without malolactic fermentation.

This viscous, mouth-filling wine offers notes of toast, red and green apples, caramel and almond.

Fermentation in new French barrels and 5 months battonage until bottling.

Country: Spain

Region: Rioja

Grapes: Garnacha Blanco

ABV: 14%

The grand master of white Rioja, Abel Mendoza never fails to impress with his uniquely complex, old vine wines from small plots planted high up in the Alavesa. Tim Atkin MW often scores between 94-95 for this wine and past vintages received 95 points from Robert Parker. Sublime and a must for anyone serious about their wine.

Wonderfully rich and fleshy  from hand harvested bushvine grown grapes in Franschhoek. Wild Yeast fermented. Beautifully poised and elegant. Excellent food wine.

Country: South Africa

Region: Franschhoek

Grapes: 100% Semillon

ABV: 13%

Ideal with white fish dishes, fresh oysters and prawns.

https://www.wildeberg.co.za/

Certified Heritage Vineyards planted in 1905.

Fresh, zesty and full of life, with aromas of wild, ripe black currants and citrus zest. On the palate it is crisp, clean with notes of minerality and an almond skin finish.

Country: Georgia

Region: Kakheti

Grapes: Mtsvane

ABV: 13%

Food Match: Fresh goat's cheese salad with grilled asparagus or grilled seafood with pan fried fleshy white fish with a rich, mushroom sauce.

Read all about Penny's recent trip to the cradle of wine, Georgia in her blog here.

Penny's sister Sally's all time favourite everyday drinking Viognier! 

Country: South Africa

Region: Western Cape

Grapes: Viognier 

ABV: 13.5%

Food Match: Paella

“About as good as Marlborough gets” according to Tim Atkin. We concur!

Very pale straw with a slight green hue. On the nose, ginger, green apple and crisp highlights of lime. Citrus focussed palate with quenching acidity and varietal elegance.

Country: New Zealand

Region: Marlborough

Grape: Sauvignon Blanc

ABV: 14 %

Zephyr Wines is a family winery based in Dillon’s Point, Marlborough and was started by the Glover family in 1985 after being inspired by other mavericks in the region to convert their farm to vine. They've never looked back and Owen and Wendy Glover, along with son Ben, one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed and talented winemakers, now produce award-winning wines from what has become one of the most established single vineyards in the region.  The critics are proving what we’ve known for a long time: that the Glover’s are styling something special out of Marlborough vines that no-one else has.

A bright golden colour with a nose of green apples and peach blossom, persistent fine bubbles. Ripe peach and red apples on the palate with refreshing acidity and a long, well balanced finish.

Country: Italy

Region: Puglia

ABV: 12.5 %

Grape: Chardonnay

Perfumed nose with lemon sherbet, hints of stone fruit and flint. The palate is well balanced with delicate lemon, considerable minerality and hints of creamy citrus on the finish. The wine has a generous palate weight.

 Country: France

Region: Alsace

Grapes: 100% Pinot Blanc

ABV: 12.5%

Vegetarian

Turckheim is well known for their respect for wine: combining rigour, skill and patience with technology. Since 1998, wine making has been in the hands of Michel Lihrmann,who selects grapes from 280 growers, over 330 hectares.

Great value Chilean Sauvignon Blanc.

Fine floral aromas with ripe tropicaland grassy notes on the nose. The floral and fruity notes reappear on the palate, which presents nicely balanced acidity and a long, fruity finish. 

Country: Chile

Region: Leyda Valley

ABV: 13%

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc

Gardner Street Classic has the classic floral, elderflower note we have come to know of contemporary Bacchus married with a touch of stone fruit from the Chardonnay. On the palate there's an abundance of red apple fruit, a touch of wild fennel with the barrel fermented Chardonnay giving mid palate weight and structure to a wine that ultimately finishes with a brisk, present acidity.

Country: England

Region: East Sussex

Grapes: Bacchus 75% , Chardonnay 25%

ABV: 12.5%

Gardner Street is the historic name of Henners’ home village of Herstmonceux. The old name captures the hand-harvested, artisanal craft of tending vines and wines down English country lanes. A modern marriage of fresh, floral Bacchus with a little barrel-fermented Chardonnay.

A fantastic wine for all occasions. Aromatic and fresh with orange blossom and zest on the nose. Ripe red apples, peaches and a hint of orange peel on the palate.
This Chenin Blanc is pale straw in colour with sumptuous aromas of peach and melon. These characteristics are echoed on the palate, where they are perfectly balanced with a zingy lime freshness and crisp, refreshing finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Western Cape

Grapes:  100% Chenin Blanc

ABV: 11%

Tasting Notes: This wine is ideal with spicy Asian seafood dishes.

Vegan/Vegetarian 

Fresh and slightly spicy with fleshy, white peach characters and a lovely perfume of jasmine from the Muscat. On the palate this wine is bursting with peach and apricot flavours.  Wonderfully balanced with an impressive backbone of elegant minerality.

Country: Lebanon

Region: Bekaa Valley

Grapes: Viognier, Chardonnay, Muscat de Alexandria

ABV: 13.5%

Food match

Mediterranean chicken or fish dishes with grilled vegetables

With gentle aromas of rose petals and clementines, the restrained palate is lightly perfumed (as wild flower honey) and long.

Country: France

Region: Alsace

Grapes:  Gewurtztraminer

ABV: 13.5%

Matches perfectly with Thai Green Curry

Musar Jeune White is an unoaked blend of Viognier, Vermentino, Chardonnay from youthful Bekaa Valley vines. Crisp and aromatic, this is an exciting blend of French and Italian varieties has its own distinct characters of passionfruit, red apples and elderflower with a dry, refreshing finish.

Country: Lebanon

Region: Bekaa Valley

Grapes: Viognier, Vermentino, Chardonnay

ABV: 13.5%

Brilliant straw colour with greenish shades. On the nose the wine shows expressive notes of exotic fruit and notes of melon, lemon, green pepper and jasmine with orange. The mouth is delightfully rich with flavours of peach and green apple and a lemony fresh finish that lingers and evolves. 

Country: Greece

Region: East of Athens

ABV: 13%

Grapes: Assyrtiko

Food match: Greek salads, shellfish and grilled white fish, turkey.

Domaine Papagiannakos was established in 1919 in the heart of the plain of Mesogaia, Attica - just 30km from the shadow of the Acropolis.

A beautiful bouquet of floral notes and soft citrus fruits. Fresh and dry white wine, crisp floral notes with hints of underlying minerality, leading through to a piercingly pure finish.

Country: Italy

Region: Piedmont

ABV: 12.5%

Grapes:  100% Cortese

Food Match:  Light cheeses, shellfish

Vegan/Vegetarian

Medium Lemon yellow colour. Floral aromas of citrus fruits and with mineral notes. A lovely freshness and elegance on the palate, supported by bright acidity. Very well balanced natural wine.

Country: Portugal

Region: Lisbon

Grapes: Arinto, Olho de Lebre, Fernão Pires

ABV: 13%

Winemaker Andre is always interested in experimenting with new and old methods. He is the 5th generation of winemakers at Quinta do Montalto, the farm has 15Ha of Vineyards grown with organic certification since 1997 in Clay and Chalk soils under the Lisbon DOC Encostas D’Aire.
He uses ancient methods the create DOC Medieval Ourem, but also made new Portuguese Amphoras and uses the most modern low intervention techniques for his traditional range.

A classic varietal nose of jasmine, white peach and fruit blossom, with a whiff of white pepper. The palate is generous, and richly flavoured balanced by bright, zimgy acidity and with a gingery, textural finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Western Cape

Grapes: Viognier

ABV: 13%

 Food match: Thai green curry, Cape Malay curries, goats cheese and roast veg.

From Paarl vineyards grown on sandy loams, where timing of harvest is crucial to the varietal balance of aromatics, generosity of palate and freshness. Kleine Oranjerie Viognier does exactly that and is a hugely welcome, judiciously finessed addition to our South African portfolio.

Completely lovely Sauvignon from an unexpected location. This has aromas of fresh cut grass and flint.  A fresh, crisp backbone adds structure and elegance. Wonderful match for shellfish, scallops and salads.

Country: Germany

Region: Rheinhessen

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc

ABV: 12.5%

Intense savoury nose with notes of dried citrus peel, marmalade, brown spice and almond skin. Full flavoured and textural on the palate with flavours of apricot kernel and fruit peel followed by a fine bitter orange finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Breedekloof

Grapes: 90% Chenin Blanc, 10% Muscat D'Alexandria

ABV: 12.5%

Dachbosch Wine

Food match: 

The grapes are sorted, de-stemmed and crushed. Fermentation process started with juice still on the grape skins, whereafter the wine was left on the grape skins for a further 6 months. The clear wine was then racked, blended and bottled.

A natural, beautifully golden sparkling wine. The aroma is dominated by apple, quince and citrus fruit notes. Medium-bodied, with a pleasantly fresh fruit-forward finish.

Country: Bulgaria

Region: Danube Plain

Grapes: Riesling 

ABV: 11,5 %

Food Match: Aperitif, shellfish, salads, fish & chips.

Wonderful, fresh, but textured white made from Biodynamically grown grapes and with minimal intervention in the winery. Citrus, white flowers and stone fruits on the nose, creamy and rounded on the palate from the time spent on it's lees. Lively, zesty finish.

Country: Spain

Region: Bierzo

Grapes: Godello

ABV: 14%