£14.40, Tanners Wines
If you're in the UK you may wonder at my recommending a Riesling in the currently comfortless weather – not only that but a dry Riesling without the comfort-zone sweetness of the older classic styles of Germany (Kabinett and so on). Summer is certainly prime time for most of the world's very light, crisply acidic white wines, but good dry Riesling doesn't fit that description. Whether it's from Austria, Germany, Alsace or Australia, there's more to its aromas, tastes, texture and weight.
This wine, from a 10-hectare, certified sustainable, family estate in the village of Furth in the Kremstal region, has it all: fragrant orchard fruit (apple, pear, peach) with a swish of spice, then a teasing touch of spritz before the palate fans out into ripe fruit and supple texture, tightening up again with mineral dryness and chiselled acidity. 13%.
It's ideal as an aperitif, but the other star attraction of Riesling is its food-matching prowess. Aside from going well with a lot of fish and seafood, it can handle several of the key flavourings that change main ingredients and, in so doing, sabotage wines that would otherwise have been good partners. Riesling retains its integrity in the face of all sorts of spices and herbs, citrus juice and zest, vinegar and salt. To give a few examples, dry Riesling is generally a good match for Thai and Vietnamese food, for dishes with capers, green olives or mustardy dressings, veal escalope with lemon squeezed on it, or similarly treated pork or chicken.
Weingut Müller-Grossmann Furth Kremstal Riesling 2008, Austria
£14.40, Tanners Wines