Visiting the wine department of a supermarket can be a little confusing. A myriad of wines accompanied by a plethora of deal – there can be almost too much choice.

So I have come up with my top five white wines from Sainsbury’s giving everyone at least a place to start. They’re all under £10 so there’s something for any budget. Often a supermarket will approach a winemaker and ask them to create a bottling exclusively for them – and that’s what has happened here. You’ll notice all of these wines come from Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference – there are of course other wines available when you do your weekly shop, but in my opinion these are some of the best value for your money.

Taste the Difference Greco di Tufo 2015, £9

Greco di Tufo comes from the volcanic soils of Campania, southern Italy. The nose has hints of citrus blossom mixed with macchia herbs. A good choice if you’re partial to Soave – it’s really nice stuff. Lovely fruit, fennel/liquorice/aniseed-y flavours, chalky minerality, and a slightly salty finish. A good acidic backbone brings the whole wine together. Drink with roast chicken with thyme and lemon or grilled fish.

Taste the Difference Godello Bierzo 2015, £9

From the slate soils of Bierzo in north western Spain. Enticing smells of red apple and tropical fruits are followed by flavours of herbs and nuts. A dry wine that has a bit more body to it, and a bit fruitier than the Greco di Tufo. This wine has a nice complexity and an impressively long finish – the taste lingers on your tongue which is a sign of quality in wine. This is lovely summer drinking, and will go well with seafood and fish dishes.

 

Taste the Difference Mosel Pinot Blanc 2015, £7

This is a Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) from the Riesling stronghold which is the Mosel valley in Germany. This offering from Sainsbury’s has the lemon and wet stone aromas typical of many Mosel Rieslings. Another dry white but again much rounder compared to the Greco di Tufo, with flavours of apple and lemon, and some minerals as well – Chardonnay drinkers might go for this one. It has a pleasing slight bitterness on the finish. This is a very versatile food wine and will go well with German sausages, fish, pork or chicken. But I would drink it with freshly grilled green asparagus and a classic Wiener schnitzel.

 

Taste the Difference Riesling Niederösterreich 2015, £8

This little gem is made by Weingut Markus Huber from the village of Reichersdorf in northern Austria. Huber is a skilled winemaker who makes top Rieslings so no wonder that at just £8.00 this wine still oozes quality. It has a nose of limes (very typical of Austrian Riesling) and pear. It is dry, light to medium bodied, with flavours of citrus fruits like grapefruit and lemon. Good acidity and well balanced it offers great value. I had this with a Flammkuchen (tarte flambée), which is like an Alsatian pizza topped with bacon lardons, onions, and fromage blanc (catch it in Lidl if you can, or better yet make yourself). It would also work with smoked pork, smoked salmon, and dishes with freshwater fish.

Taste the Difference Languedoc White, 2015, £7

This straightforward Languedoc white is blend of typical southern French white grapes varieties; Vermentino, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, and Viognier. The abundant sun has nourished these grapes to full ripeness resulting in flavours of lemon, tropical fruits, and peaches. It has the power to stand up to quite strong flavours. This is a great barbeque wine, particularly if pork or chicken are on the menu. I would drink this with herby Mediterranean style pork sausages.