Cool down with refreshing whites

Looks like we are having a heatwave and it’s hotter in parts of the UK than it is in Sicily! Time to cool off with some wonderfully racy and mouth-wateringly refreshing white wines. Let me pick out for you some of the freshest whites in our collection that are perfect for summertime drinking, keeping you cool in true dolce vita style! 
Lugana - No summer is truly complete without the inclusion of Lugana, Lake Garda’s most famous and garnered white grape. If you have been lucky enough to find yourself sipping a white wine in any of the tree-lined bars scattered along the shores of Lake Garda, the chances are it was probably Lugana or, more specifically, Turbiana, the grape variety. This wine is the perfect summer wine to transport you to coastal shores, warm breezes and glorious sunset views. Delicate yet full, aromatic yet refined, naturally high in acidity yet harmoniously balanced with floral notes such as damsel and dandelion, whilst crisp apple leads the way on fruit, followed up with tangy citrus flavours.  What’s more, it’s zippy and racy in youth, but has terrific potential to age, giving more richness to its flavours, with stewed apple and wild herbaceous tones coming through on the palate.  If you are not actually basking lakeside, this wine will transport you there at the first mouthful. 
Vermentino - It’s a shame that some wines are viewed as being so seasonal because I really enjoy Vermentino all year long, with its white stone fruit and orange peel sensations (just one example of many differing styles). A heavyweight in the summer wine stakes, and poured religiously throughout the summer season, specifically along coastal regions in Liguria, Tuscany and Sardinia. Usually cultivated within a stone’s throw from the Mediterranean Sea, there’s a wonderful saline quality to Vermentino that just screams sea views, and if you can marry some seafood with it, even better! 
Ribolla Gialla - Ribolla Gialla, typically from Italy’s north-eastern region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, tends to be light bodied, delicate and floral with a bracing acidity that makes it one of Italy’s best summer white wines. Ideally grown in hillside vineyards where fermentation is controlled at low temperatures in steel to preserve and express the Ribolla Gialla grape’s full and delicate aromas. Plus, it’s not as well-known as many other Italian white wines, which just adds to its kudos.
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