Feudo Arancio 2024 Grillo

 

Feudo Arancio is an Italian producer - based in Sicily - that delivers a wide range of Italian wine tastes at very fair prices. The name means "orange farm" and this an impressively floral, dry, tropical and textural white wine that offers outstanding value. It is a white that combines palate richness with crisp acid on the finish, making it a very versatile choice for summer quaffing. Grillo is a popular grape in Sicily, where it matches with the local seafood. The tropical fruit salad notes here also make it a great choice for pairing with roasted or grilled chicken dishes. It is also well suited to sipping well chilled in the backyard on a summer afternoon. It is imported by Sydney-based Single Vineyard Sellers, who bring in a range of excellent Italian wines. $20. https://www.singlevineyards.com/

Longview 2025 The Whippet Sauvignon Blanc

 

Sauvignon blanc may no longer be as fashionable as it once was, but when it is as impressive as this one, it still merits a place in wine fridges for summer. From a reliably excellent family-owned producer at Macclesfield in the Adelaide Hills, this is lighter-bodied, quite dry, and impressively varietal; a perfect companion for fish and chips, or salt and pepper squid. This has a nice balance between herbaceous and tropical fruit notes and finishes brisk and crisp. The 2025 vintage was very dry and the fruit was picked early but thankfully quality is impressive. Fermented in stainless steel but a small portion went through barrel ferment and underwent some lees stirring to build a little complexity. Lovely stuff. $28. https://www.longviewvineyard.com.au/

Hesketh 2024 Small Batch Pinot Blanc

 
We don't grow, or drink, a lot of pinot blanc in Australia, which is a pity, as it is a good choice for our outdoor lifestyle. There is a lot of it grown in Alsace, Germany and Hungary and it appears well suited to the cooler Adelaide Hills. This displays a nifty balance between fresh fruit vibrancy and textural palate interest, with some of the fruit fermented in stainless steel and a portion in older oak on yeast lees. There are apple and pear orchard flavours here with brisk acid,  but also some richer palate structure. It is hard to imagine any white wine lover not enjoying this given its versatility. An excellent wine for the price. Match with fish or poultry dishes, or maybe some Thai fishcakes. $28. https://heskethwinecompany.com.au/