Spring whites at £20 and under: 20 of the best-value wines
As we welcome longer, warmer days, crisp whites start to come into their own. Here are 20, spring whites at under £20 to celebrate the arrival of spring.
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I f you’re anything like me – and if you’re in the northern hemisphere – you’ll have spent the past few months warming body and soul against the cold, dark and damp with red wines from the deeper, richer end of the spectrum.
Right now, though, with that first, almost-ticklish warmer breeze filling the air with birdsong and blossomy scents, the wines that have the most compelling claim on my attention are almost always white.
Scroll down for 20 value recommendations perfect for spring
So what do I typically look for in a spring white?
Energy for one thing; freshness, too, and a difficult-to-define feeling that I’ll call ‘flow’.
Technically speaking, that comes down to the level of acidity, and the more mouthwatering the better – although the accompanying flavours and textures will depend, as ever, on what I’m eating and just how ‘spring-like’ the weather really is.
Spring's wine timeline
On those first warm, sunny afternoons, the verdant charms of classic unoaked Sauvignon Blanc seem almost irresistible – so, too, the quicksilver pulse of Riesling and the fresh white peach and Atlantic salt spray of Albariño.
But earlier in the season, with the nights still cool, I’ll be looking for more substance, to go with my creamy-sauced fish or chicken, some fleshier stone fruit and pithy texture, too.
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Two barrel-aged styles come to mind: oak-aged Chardonnay, and Sauvignon paired with Semillon in the classic Bordeaux-style white blend – both of which, it seems to me, provide the perfect segue from winter into spring.
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David Williams is a widely published wine writer, author and judge, who lives in Spain. He is also a founding member of The Wine Gang
