It's not a grape variety but a triple varietal blend that is made under strict guidelines. We found this one in Lidl and suspect, due to the lack of information on the label, that it's another one of their own labels that dominate their shelves. It's a delicious crisp dry white with a a touch of appealing spritzig
GEMISCHTER SATZ 2017 BURGENLAND TROCKEN
GRAPE VARIETIES: It's a three way mix
REGION: Burgenland, Austria
A/V: 12%
PRICE: 2.99 euro
FROM: Lidl, Austria
RATING: 5/5 from me
When I arrive in a new country or find a new retailer with a range of wines I've never seen before I get excited. I'm obsessed with tasting wine and making sense of varieties and regions that I've never encountered before.
Sometimes I buy so much that we can't taste them all before we move on to a new place where those wines aren't available. And so it was with this little beauty. We bought it in Portugal and opened the bottle in Spain.
It's a dazzling crisp dry white full of aromatic flavour that warrants a much higher price. I wish we'd bought more
MONTE DA FERRA 2016 VINHO BRANCO
GRAPE VARIETIES: Roupeiro, Arinto and Fernao Pires
REGION: Alentejo, Portugal
A/V: 12.5%
PRICE: 1.99 euro
FROM: Aldi, Portugal
RATING: 5/5 from me
This is another bargain from the recent Continente sale.
Complex, surprisingly mellow and warmly inviting this is a masterful blend. I would have loved an opportunity to taste the components individually before the blend was put together
MULA VELHA 2016 PREMIUM WHITE
GRAPE VARIETIES: Fernao Pires, Arinto, Chardonnay and Verdelho
REGION: Lisboa, Portugal
A/V: 13%
PRICE: 2.99 euro [marked down from 9.99]
FROM: Continente, Portugal
RATING: 5/5 from me
So far with our exploration into Portuguese wines we've encountered three different varieties in the Vinho Verdes we've tasted. And a range of spritzig from "way too much" to the much preferred subtlety of this one.
This is the first time we've encountered Loureiro and this is a very classy offering for the price. Highly recommended crisp dry white with just a touch of spritz
QUINTA DA AVELEDA 2017 VINHO VERDE
GRAPE VARIETIES: Loureiro amd Alvarinho
REGION: Vinho Verde, Portugal
A/V: 11.5%
PRICE: 3.34 euro
FROM: Intermarche, Portugal
RATING: 4.5/5 from me
The sceptical me wonders whether this ever saw a 16 euro price tag. Which is a shame because this is a really interesting complex dry white blend. It's quite developed for a wine this young with a honeysuckle richness dominating a full bodied palate. Won't be to everyone's taste, well and truly worth 6 euro but not 16.
GRAPE VARIETIES: Antao Vaz, Arinto, Viognier and Semillon
REGION:Alentejano, Portugal
A/V: 13 %
PRICE: 5.99 euro [reduced from 15.99]
FROM: Continente, Portugal
RATING: 4/5 from me
Am I the only one that reads the back labels on wine bottles. This one refers to "the Lusitano Horse, a brave companion since the time of the Roman legionnaires 5000 years ago".
They would have been a surprise to everyone at the time!
And the wine? It's a very steely austere dry white without much discernible fruit. A perfectly acceptable quaffer if you like the style. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it but I'm enjoying others far more.
CAVALO BRAVO 2016 VINHO BRANCO
GRAPE VARIETIES: Fernao Pires and Arinto
REGION: Tejo, Portugal
A/V: 12.5%
PRICE: 2.19 euro
FROM: Continente,Portugal
RATING: 3/5 from me
This is a perfectly pleasant little quaffer and for the price well worth a try. It's a blend of viura, the white variety of Rioja and nearly everyone's favourite, sauvignon blanc. Don't expect any sauvignon blanc flavours though because there aren't any. It has a surprisingly hefty palate weight which may appeal more to you than it does me.
And for what it's worth Viura is also known as Macabeo in other parts of the world. Which one is corrects? Growers of each would undoubtedly believe they are.
GRAPE VARIETIES: Viura [MACABEO] 70% Sauvignon Blanc 30%
REGION: Valencia, Spain
A/V: 11.5%
PRICE: 1.49 euro
FROM: Lidl, Spain
RATING: 3/5 from me
CHATEAU SARANSOT-DUPRE 2015 SEC
Mango! Never have I tasted a wine with such a definitive fruit character. There's no nuances, hints or suggestions. It's just full on mango - about a tray's worth from Sydney Markets as the new season begins.
So we did something unusual with our white tastings and whacked it back in the fridge.
Day Two: Mango! Back in the fridge
Day Three: While the mango was still going strong there were other complex characters wafting around the glass and it had evolved into a really fascinating wine. Still in great condition with no oxidisation.
The verdict? At first I thought this was impossible to rate but on reflection this is the perfect 4/5 rated wine. You will love or hate it. There is no room for a wishy washy opinion. . If you're an experimenter this is a must. If you want your sauvignon blancs to taste like Marlborough, avoid at all costs.
REGION: Bordeaux
A/V: 13.5%
PRICE: 12 euro
FROM: Cave L'Avant Garde Margaux
RATING: 4/5 from me
CHATEAU FONREAUD LE CYGNE 2016 BORDEAUX
This outstanding dry white is a masterclass in blending and balance. It's 60% sauvignon blanc, 25% semillon and 15% muscadelle. Toss in some of the finest, most delicate oak treatment I've ever tasted and this is just about perfect. It dazzles, it entices, it caresses - it draws you back for more. If it was just me this would score a 5+ but if you object to wood in any white wine you won't like it. But if any wine would change your mind it could be this.
18 euro from Cave L'Avant Garde Margaux
4.5/5 Rating
Cotes de Gascogne Colombard Sauvignon
It comes in the cheapest bottle money can buy with an unpretentious label definitely not trying to deceive. Just how ordinary can a wine be at this price? the answer is EXTRAORDINARY! It's beautifully dry with an appealing minerality. Fruit character in the apple/pear spectrum is balanced by crisp acidity. It's such an outstanding bargain it would be worth nipping over to France to grab as many dozen as you could legally bring back to the UK.
2.15euro from SuperU France
5/5 Rating from me
COTES DU GASCOGNE 2015 EXOTIQUE
In the 40 [yes I started young] odd years I've been raving about wine I can't recall a better budget white than this.
It's from the south west of France not too far from Portugal's Vinho Verde. It's probably a Lidl controlled brand and it's probably mostly colombard. And if it was VV it would be as good as I've tasted. It has a crisp dry lifted vibrancy that absolutely dazzles - you'd think it was bottled yesterday. A truly outstanding wine that I would recommend to anyone.
NB This is one that Lidl regularly feature as one of their £2.99 weekend promotions. Which means it's usually sold out very quickly on a Saturday morning
5/5 rating from me
£2.99
from Lidl on promotion
£4.29 the rest of the time
It's not a grape variety but a triple varietal blend that is made under strict guidelines. We found this one in Lidl and suspect, due to the lack of information on the label, that it's another one of their own labels that dominate their shelves. It's a delicious crisp dry white with a a touch of appealing spritzig
A/V: 12% 
When I arrive in a new country or find a new retailer with a range of wines I've never seen before I get excited. I'm obsessed with tasting wine and making sense of varieties and regions that I've never encountered before. 
This is another bargain from the recent Continente sale. 
GRAPE VARIETIES: Fernao Pires, Arinto, Chardonnay and Verdelho
Am I the only one that reads the back labels on wine bottles. This one refers to "the Lusitano Horse, a brave companion since the time of the Roman legionnaires 5000 years ago". 
CHATEAU FONREAUD LE CYGNE 2016 BORDEAUX
18 euro from Cave L'Avant Garde Margaux
Cotes de Gascogne Colombard Sauvignon
In the 40 [yes I started young] odd years I've been raving about wine I can't recall a better budget white than this. 
NB This is one that Lidl regularly feature as one of their £2.99 weekend promotions. Which means it's usually sold out very quickly on a Saturday morning
