On a hot summer’s day, there are few things quite as refreshing as a cold glass of white wine. When we went to The Quality Chop House in Farringdon, it was roasting. The hottest day of the year, in fact, and as much as I would have liked to indulge in a ‘kick-you-in-the-teeth-red’, as my husband has decided to call our ‘style’ of red wines, it was just too darn hot.

So we ordered this Celler Marti Fabra ‘Verd Albera’ 2011 from the Empordà region of Spain, which was billed as:

A new appellation in north-eastern Spain, producing really delicate wines for the price. Lovely green freshness.

And green it definitely was. It was clean and fresh with the taste of green fruits, especially green plums for me, and an off dry finish with a hint of alcohol warmth which I found odd in a white wine, but not off-putting. Once I saw that it was 13.5%, I understood where the warmth was coming from!

It’s made up of 60% Grenache Blanc, 30% Muscat, 5% Grenache Gris, and 5% Chardonnay, which apparently is an unusual blend of grapes and I will say that ‘unusual’ is a perfect way to describe this wine. I don’t often drink white wine, so I know even less about it than red wine – and in all honesty, I know next to nothing about that – but this wine was intriguing, different and thoroughly enjoyable. It’s also very reasonably priced being available for £10-£15 from retailers.

If you’re looking for something special, or just a bit different, sit in the sunshine and give this Verd Albera a go.

Bottoms up!