On the Hunt for a nice white wine Portuguese or French that’s nice with food and not chardonnay. Up to £15. From Tesco or Asda. Any suggestions?

Has to be a Sancerre.

Oyster bay sav blanc.

I know bugger all about wine but I always use this site http://supermarketwine.com/blog if I want a bottle recommended from a particular supermarket and I’ve not had a bad one yet!

Possibly the 2013 Tesco Finest Côtes de Gascogne Gros Manseng Sauvignon Blanc could fit the bill.

Savennieres AOC Chenin Blanc (France) or a Vinho Verde (Portugese)

I got the Sav Blanc bit right then as I’ve never had a bad one. White I’m hit and miss with but reds easier. It’s just for my Dad and I always get him red so he can have white for a change.

Chablis
Macon Villages

Really?

I just go for whatever’s on offer. Pino Grigio if you’ve a date, cider oblivion if you have to get drunk

Go for a themed evening.

Either go with a nod towards ironic, knowing retro….

Or with a nod towards ironic, knowing, nickers-round-your-ankles, just-dropped-me-kebab….

Not a bad SB….

My current favourite SB, from M&S is:
http://www.marksandspencer.com/single-block-series-s1-sauvignon-blanc-case-of-6/p/p60028763

What kind of style to you like?

Crispy and dry? Tesco finest Sancerre at £12.79
Fruity and dry? Tesco have their finest vino verde at £7.50 from Portugal.
Gooseberry? tesco finest Sancerre at £12.79 or Tesco Pouilly Fume at £11.99
Floral plus fruit? Tesco finest Gewürztraminer at £7.99 but not everyone’s taste!

Why not Chardonnay? Are you turned off by the over oaked new world ones that invaded (until recently)? Some of France’s best white wines are Chardonnay but a long way from the clichéd crap you get in many bars and pubs (IMO). Note that (the otherwise sensible suggestions above of) Chablis and Macon Villages are both (fine) examples of the Chardonnay grape but in the more subtle and appealing variety (IMO).

Only looked at Tesco wines (pretty limited ie 3 from Portugal) but HTH.

I know someone called Chardonnay

Yep. Exactly like that as well x

Chablis

Pouilly Fumee

hp_source – Member
Chablis
Macon Villages

bwfc4eva868 – Member
On the Hunt for a nice white wine Portuguese or French that’s nice with food and not chardonnay. Up to £15. From Tesco or Asda. Any suggestions?

I can’t stand any white wine. It doesn’t agree with me at all (red, on the other hand….)

But, can anyone explain to me the ‘anything but Chardonay’ thing? What’s all that about then? Is it just purely snobbery? Or is there more substance to it than that? I suspect I know the answer to this one already….

Can anyone explain?

Binners I thought buying wine was all about the snobbery?

If you’re willing to widen your search to include Spain, the Rueda white wines are excellent. (Well, can be excellent – as with any wine producing area they also produce plonk…)

Albariños are good, too.

Binners, I think many people don’t realise that Chardonnay is behind some of the worlds greatest white whites eg White Burgundy and Champagne (mixed). I think the hostility came from the wave of over oaked and unsubtle new world Chardonnays that became popular about 10 years ago, All the subtlety of a brick. I think that there was just a backlash to this in the main. Sauvignon Blanc took over more recently and again this can suffer from over fruit and become little more than alcoholic gooseberry juice. Both grapes can be sublime though from good vineyards.

As you can see from the above, people may not realise that it is the grape behind some of their favourites eg Chablis and Macon Villages.

Villa Maria do some excellent whites their Pinot Gris (or grigo) are very good one is Taylors pass which is very very nice . also their sauvions are very drinkable.

I personally hate chardonnay but decent Chablis has little of the taste I dislike and is very drinkable.

What food is it to go with ?

Sancerre

But, can anyone explain to me the ‘anything but Chardonay’ thing?

I think it’s because historically a lot of new world chardonnay had some ageing in american oak chips making it quite oaky and that’s what people associate with Chardonnay (in fairness to the above burgundy chardonnay is light years away from most NW chardonnay). I don’t think it’s snobbery, just tastes have now changed, Pinot and Sauv blanc are clean and crisp which is now to most tastes. BTW I still sell loads of NW Chardonnay.

Binners, I think many people don’t realise that Chardonnay is behind some of the worlds greatest white whites eg White Burgundy and Champagne (mixed). I think the hostility came from the wave of over oaked and unsubtle new world Chardonnays that became popular about 10 years ago, All the subtlety of a brick. I think that there was just a backlash to this in the main. Sauvignon Blanc took over more recently and again this can suffer from over fruit and become little more than alcoholic gooseberry juice. Both grapes can be sublime though from good vineyards.

As you can see from the above, people may not realise that it is the grape behind some of their favourites eg Chablis and Macon Villages.

^This.

Do not dismiss a Chardonnay, pick carefully. Try a nice unoaked chardonnay, a good one is akin to a good chablis. (same grape)

Also try a nice German DRY white, like a really good Riesling. Delicious, steely, crisp white.

Also try a nice German DRY white, like a really good Riesling. Delicious, steely, crisp white.

I hardly ever drink white wine, but if I did, Riesling would be my choice also. A decent Alsace Riesling up to 10yrs old for a special occasion. New World Riesling is generally good as well.

I have a nice collection of Furstentum (Alsace AOC Grand cru) in the cellar at the moment. Good Riesling are great, bad ones are toe-curling 🙂

I’m jealous, what year is it Stoner?

Dr Loosen Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett

Not dry, great balance between sweetness & acidity, fruity and absolutely fookin’ delicious! You’ll have to go to Waitrose though.

The only white wines I’ve drunk are sav Blanc and chardonnay. I don’t mind chardonnay as some can taste quite nice, but my dad refuses to even try it.

top of my head I cant remember, but it’s something like 05-09 ish. Blanck. I also have some of their Rosenbourg.

http://www.blanck.com/vins-fins-alsace-grand-cru/vin-alsace-grads-crus-blanck/Furstentum-Riesling-1079.html?vins

TBH though, Savennieres is my first love.

Good Riesling are great, bad ones are toe-curling

Agreed. I’ve poured a bottle or two down the sink before, but a good one is lovely.

Any decent Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Not a cheap one though, okay at least £12 ( before offer) for those glorious flavours.

At around that price try Esk Valley Sauvignon Blanc it’s that bit better than Oyster Bay/Villa Maria, don’t know how widely available it is tho.

OP

French that’s nice with food and not chardonnay

and everyone says

chablis

which is a chardonnay and not a great food wine

another alternative to the above suggestions is white bordeaux, whether tesco or asda do one I don’t know, I would try and find an independant wine shop at that pricepoint, go in and ask them

If you’re planning a romantic night in then you can’t go wrong if you start with a Sémillon

Try this Louis Fabre Sauvignon Blanc. I rated it higher than wines twice the price when blind tasting.

I’ve got a penchant for viognier myself. but like has been said a not very oaky chardonnay can be very good. Sancerre is also nice, Lidl do an excellent one.

All IMO of course, i’m no expert!!

If you’re planning a romantic night in then you can’t go wrong if you start with a Sémillon

the old ones are the best 🙂
and Pouilly Fumee Fuissé

which is a chardonnay and not a great food wine

Must say I didn’t realise Chablis was Chardonnay as it seems quite different to most other Chardonnays I’ve had. However, saying it’s ‘not a great food wine’ just sounds like pretentious nonsense.

Pouilly fuisee is also Chardonnay!!!

Grum, about 10 years ago I did a wine course and one section was all about why people were wrong about Chardonnay. Nearly everyone fell for missing that at least one of their favourites was made from the Chardonnay grape!!!

I’ve got a penchant for viognier myself.

x2