Some of our most distinctive and increasingly popular wines are from grapes grown only in small zones: Picpoul de Pinet from the Languedoc shores of the Med; Gros and Petit Manseng (Pacherenc du Vic Bilh) from the south-west of France; Albarino from Galicia; or Grechetto from Umbria. Then there are blends: blending grape varieties with specific qualities - for example using one for fruit (e.g. Viognier), one for body (e.g. Marsanne) and another for freshness (e.g. Clairette) - makes complete sense and can make wine so much more interesting. We commend in particular blends from the Languedoc, Spain and South Africa - especially the latter.

Key to our selection is only to offer wines from vines suited to the climatic conditions in which they are grown: that’s why we don’t offer Sauvignon Blanc from the Languedoc, or Pinot Grigio from Australia - it’s simply too hot there for these varieties. Some grapes thrive in the heat - for example Grillo in Sicily. Finally, note that we enjoy and seek freshness in our whites, and abhor the following: over-ripeness; ugly adjustment of acidity levels with tartaric acid (yes, in hot countries they can legally dump sacks of white powder into the wine); and clumsily oaked examples.