Not many people realise it, but the cooler, high-altitude areas of Argentina’s Uco Valley are producing some delicious white wines at the moment, most notably from Chardonnay. This deftly wooded example from Sebastián Zuccardi, made with grapes from El Peral and Gualtallary, is wonderfully focused, direct and refreshing, with layers of lemongrass, citrus peel,  fennel and oyster shell, mouth-watering acidity and a stony, tapering finish.
Food Match: Vegetables
2024 La Guardiense Falanghina del Sannio, Campania
( £10.50, 13.5%, Majestic )Working under the guidance of top consultant Ricardo Cotarella, the La Guardiense co-operative is making some delicious, value-for-money examples of Campania’s native Falanghina grape.  Aged on its lees in stainless steel tanks to add weight and texture, this is a wonderful, highly aromatic dry white with aromas of orange blossom and Angelica root and a brisk, lively, focused palate of lime, citrus and fennel.
2024 Arbousset Tavel Rosé, Rhône Valley
( £13, 13.5%, Tesco )Tavel tends to make rosés that appeal to red rather than white wine lovers. As such, they are richer, denser and fuller-bodied than the much paler Côtes de Provence style. This wine from Domaine d’Arbousset is a case in point, a serious, savoury, richly coloured cuvée of mostly Grenache with lesser amounts of Cinsault, Carignan and Syrah. Wild strawberry, hibiscus and rooibos tea flavours are framed by subtle tannins and racy acidity.
2023 Domaine Trouillet les Reines de la Jacarde Blanc, Beaujolais
( £15, 13%, Majestic )Beaujolais is so famous as a red wine region that people forget that it also produces a small amount of white wine made from Chardonnay. Indeed, some of its vineyards neighbour the Mâconnais, the southern outpost of Burgundy to the north. This is a delicious, textured white from William Trouillet, whose family domaine also make grander and more expensive Pouilly-Fuissé for Majestic. Perfumed, fresh and very lightly wooded, it has notes of cream, citrus and wet stones and a hint of brioche.
2024 The Society's Greek White, Greece
( £8.95, 12.5%, The Wine Society )The Wine Society has made a specialism of Greece and it’s paid off in the quality of the stuff they import from one of Europe’s most exciting wine-producing countries. This is a scented, zingy blend of Moschofilero and Roditis that would be ideal with a piece of grilled fish and a bowl of green olives. Flavours of lemongrass, wild thyme and citrus peel  are complemented by notes of fennel and sea salt and a hint of quinine-like bitterness. Remarkably good at the price.
2023 Tesco Finest Sancerre Rosé, Loire Valley
( £16, 12.5%, Tesco )So many French rosés are are uninspiring – white spot on a white wall material – that it’s great to come across something with as much personality as this Pinot Noir pink from Fournier Père et Fils in Sancerre. Savoury, perfumed and appealingly bronze-hued, it has layers of wild strawberry, hibiscus and rooibos tea, a nip of tannin and a bone-dry finish.
2024 Familie Mantler Gemischter Satz, Niederösterreich
( £8.75, 11.5%, The Wine Society )The kind of thing you’d be delighted to come across in a Heuriger, or wine tavern, in the hills above Vienna, this a cracking, unoaked white that’s perfect for spring. Refreshingly light bodied and spritzy, it’s based on Grüner Veltliner, Austria’s most distinctive variety, with support from 15% Müller-Thurgau and 5% Muskateller. Juicy, tangy and thirst-quenchingly refreshing, with appealing lime, passion fruit and boiled sweets’ flavours and a touch of balancing sweetness.
2023 Botanica Mary Delany Collection Chenin Blanc, Citrusdal Mountain
( £27, 13%, The Wine Society )Consistently one of the best Chenin Blancs in the Cape, the Mary Delany Collection uses grapes from a 1960 block between 450 and 500 metres on the Citrusdal Mountain. Fermented and aged in older barrels, it has aromas of hay and wild flowers, flavours of lime and passion fruit, subtle wood and a tangy, tapering finish. An exceptional wine from an exceptional site.
2023 Pietraia Pecorino, Abruzzo
( £9.99, 13%, Majestic )Pecorino  – not be confused with the cheese of the same name – is something of a minority white grape in Italy, but producers like Rocco and Pierpaolo Pasetti have helped to rescue it from relative obscurity.  This is an unoaked delight that delivers a lot of flavour for less than a tenner, with flavours of quince and wild Mediterranean herbs, appealing texture and weight, refreshing acidity and a fine bitter twist.
2023 Devil's Corner Chardonnay, Tasmania
( £15, 12.5%, Tesco )Aussie Chardonnay is increasingly impressive these days, especially if you’re prepared to trade up from the bargain basement. This bright, tangy, very lightly wooded example from the east coast of cool-climate Tasmania is fresh, vibrant and crunchy,  with aromas of lemongrass and gunflint, a vivid citrus zest, pear and apricot palate, and a zingy, lingering finish.
2023 Paul Mas Côté Mas Blanc, Languedoc
( £8.99, 13%, Majestic )Jean-Claude Mas is one of the most creative winemakers in France. As the man behind the Arrogant Frog brand, he also knows how to enjoy a joke at his own expense. This is a superb unwooded Languedoc blend of Grenache Blanc, 30% Vermentino, 25% Marsanne and 5% Viognier that has lots of zip and energy, flavours of kiwi fruit, apricot and pink grapefruit and a refreshing, tapering finish.
2019 Plaimont Producteurs Le Faîte Blanc Grand Vin, Saint Mont, Gascony
( £22.50, 14%, Corney & Barrow )It would be entirely fair to say that the Gers department in south-west France is not one of the country’s most celebrated wine regions,  but the Saint-Mont appellation is producing some remarkable whites from local grapes such as Petit Courbu and Petit and Gros Manseng. This delicious, judiciously aged blend is every bit as good as more expensive white Bordeaux, with lots of zip and acidity, flavours of pink grapefruit, quince and white peach and a touch of oak spice.