£11.99/£9.99, Laithwaites, Averys
This is as appealing as it is unusual: a white wine made from Sangiovese, Tuscany's principal red grape variety (and Italy's most widely planted). It's off-dry, bright and breezy with a whisp of smoke floating over quince, pear and green-apple fruit and a hint of Sangiovese's signature red-cherry in the refreshing, tangy finish. I said off-dry, but really it's more like medium dry; it's just that the acidity neatly off-sets the sweetness.
The name La Scelta di Sofia translates as 'Sophie's Choice' and the wine is the dream and creation of Sofia Barbanera, winemaker at the family owned and run Barbanera in Cetona. It's made by harvesting the grapes early, pressing them gently and fermenting the juice in stainless steel before any colour can leach from the skins.
It stars as an aperitif, but bring on the antipasto too, or fritto misto, and it would be worth trying with scallops, or with gravlax when served with a sweet mustard dill sauce. 12.7%. Bottle weight: 526g
La Scelta di Sofia Sangiovese di Toscana Bianco 2020, Tuscany, Italy
£11.99, or £9.99 in a 12-bottle mix, Laithwaites, Averys