Stockist/Retailer: Laithwaites

(2025) Apparently made from a small batch of fruit "from a renowned vineyard," this one-off release is a Riesling in a dry, limey style with an electric charge of acidity. There is a little wax and herbal character. Good juiciness on the mid palate just hints at more tropical nectarine, before that steely acidity surges back.

(2025) A special bottling for Laithwaites in conjunction with English Heritage, with a contribution to the charity feom sales. It's a blend of the three main Champagne grapes. A lovely nose, direct and lemony, but buttressed by a rich autolysis giving creamy, biscuity tones. The palate too has a great freshness and intensity, lemon and keen, juicy apple, with a fine line of acidity that is a counterpoint to underlying richness.

(2025) Reviewed August 2025 in the dog days heat of summer, this very refreshing, gently sherbetty pink Vinho Verde went down a storm with guests in the garden. Made from the seldom seen Espadeiro grape, granite soils are said to boost the wine's mineral edge. Strawberry bon bon fruit on the nose leads to a palate that is very juicy, that lemon sherbet and Epsom salts brightness to the acidity, plus it's modest 11% alcohol, making for a lightweight summer sipper with broad crowd-pleasing appeal. Watch the video for more information.

(2025) This Vin de France comes from 'Ethic Drinks', a négociant business set up by Mickael and Camille Alborghetti. Their aim is to make wines with the low environmental impact, so this comes in Laithwaites’ lightest bottle made from recycled glass, with a biodegradable label. It is also B Corp certified and is a member of '1% for the Planet', so at least 1% of annual sales is donated directly to environmental organizations. Beyond all of that, it's fantastically summery, bright bottle of 11% alcohol wine, where zest grapefruit meets exotic passion fruit, little nuances of elderflower, crunchy apple and zippy lime zest give instant, sunny appeal. £11.99 for Laithwaites members. Watch the video for more information.

(2025) From Comté Tolosan in Southwest France, a wine made from Negrette that is fashionably pale and opens with cold ferment reminders of pear drop and cherry lips. In the mouth decent sweetness and a red fruit, summery feeling with a nice level of acidity to balance. Inexpensive and attractive.

(2025) Made for Laithwaites by Luis Felipe Edwards, this is a Merlot-Malbec blend from Rapel. Fasionably peachy and pale, there's strawberry in abundance on the aromatics here, indeed strawberries and cream. In the mouth, more of the same, with a fair dollop of residual sugar adding to the sweet feeling of the fruit. Orange is another distinctive note in the acidity, though it finishes just a bit cloying for my palate, so loses a point or two. £7.99 for Laithwaites subscribers.

(2025) From the biggest name exporting to the UK from Romania, Cramele Recas, this is an easy-drinking Merlot chosen specifically as your barbecue partner as we enter the first week of June. Its plummy and raspberry fruitiness also has a touch of residual sugar I'd guess, to give extra smoothness and sweetness. Tannins are negligible, but there's a touch of spice and decent balancing acidity. Not a wine that soars above the ordinary, but if you are a Laithwaites subscriber it will wash down the burgers from the barbie nicely at £6.39. Watch the video for more information.

(2025) 'G' comes in a new, super-lightweight and recycled glass bottle that is estimated to reduce the carbon footprint of shipping the wine by 50%. A blend of 60% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 10% Rolle, 10% Syrah and 5% Tibouren, it is pale peach in colour and made in a very fresh style. Citrus and strawberry combine to give both crispness and a bit of fruity charm, with peach on the mid-palate then more citrus and crunchy apple acidity draw out the quite powerful, textured finish.

(2025) Once confined to two tiny patches in France's Rhone Valley, Viognier has had a real boom in the past few decades, and who'd have thought it would be planted here in Valencia, on the sunny Mediterranean coast of Spain. With only 11% alcohol I presume this was picked very early, which has certainly retained plenty of bright acidity in the wine, though the varietal character is modest. There is some peach and some pear, a lemony zest, and altogether it drinks quite nicely in a summery, picnic way.

(2025) Winemaker Dino Tascehtta describes the indigenous Sicilian variety Grillo as very versatile, and having a "thick skin, which means it can stand the heat of the Sicilian sun while maintaining a natural freshness." That made it his choice for a Prosecco-style sparkling wine, packaged in recycled glass and weighing in with just 11% abv. It is also certified organic and pretty dry, opening with apple core and citrus aromas, a little jasmine-like wisp of floral character betraying one of Grillo's parent varieties, Zibibbo, aka Muscat.In the mouth it seems more frizzante than full spumante, and the clean, fresh, apple and lemon flavours echo its aromas, a touch of something like lavender sneaks in too. Quite drinkable with a sherbetty finish that shows a little sweetness. Watch the video for more information.