Our Drinks Editor James Viner explores the current trend for crisp, dry whites with a slightly saline, savoury edge. From Atlantic Muscadet and Manzanilla sherry to assyrtiko, albariño and Soave, here are his six top tipples…
Can a white wine taste of the sea? It sounds fanciful, but sip a Muscadet sur lie and you may think of oyster shells, sea spray or a cool breeze. That mouth-watering, salty sensation in some white wines is one of wine’s most beguiling tricks – and is a welcome antidote to the overtly fruity whites crowding the supermarket shelves.
Chill them, order seafood from Sankey’s Fishmongers and discover six whites in which fruit takes a back seat to freshness and a delicious lick of the sea.
1. 2025 Taste the Difference Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine
Sur Lie, France
£8 with a Nectar card, £9.75 without, September 2–22, Sainsbury’s, 11.5%
This top-drawer Muscadet has had six months of lees ageing, adding texture and a sea-spray character. Made by Pierre Lieubeau, it finishes with citrusy acidity and mouth-watering freshness that makes oysters a must. Also excellent with fish pie, moules marinières and prawns.
2. NV Williams & Humbert Alegría Manzanilla, Spain
£11.95, The Wine Society, 15%, 75cl
If you like your whites bone-dry, this sherry offers a change of pace. Pale and tangy, it brings sea spray, chamomile, green apple and almond, with flor adding an iodine-like savouriness. Made in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, it is delicate enough for seafood, yet brisk enough to wake even jaded palates.
3. 2025 Zacharias Assyrtiko, Greece
£13, down to £10.40 from September 16 to October 14, Waitrose, 12.7%
Greece’s flagship white grape, assyrtiko, originated on the windy, volcanic Cycladic island of Santorini. This unoaked example from the eastern Peloponnese is bracing, with vibrant acidity, flinty wet-stone notes and a lip-smacking saline tang. A brilliant match for tomato salads, shellfish or lamb stuffed with capers, herbs and olives.
4. 2025 Mar de Frades Albariño, Rías Baixas, Spain
£17.75, Tesco, 12.5%
This cracking albariño comes from Rías Baixas on Galicia’s indented Atlantic coastline. Lemon and white peach lead into a saline finish, with a subtle mineral edge. Fresh but not austere, it quivers with vivid acidity. Think sea breeze, bottled. A tour de force. One for sushi, octopus and gambas al pil pil.
5. 2025 Berry Bros. & Rudd Soave Classico by
Pieropan, Italy
£19.95, Berry Bros. & Rudd, 12%
Salinity is not the sole preserve of coastal vineyards. Pieropan’s Soave, made from Garganega grown in volcanic soils about 100km west of Venice, offers almond and bay leaf on the nose, followed by crisp acidity, a gentle saline edge and an oyster-shell finish. Sapid, energetic and beautifully poised, it is made for squid-ink pasta, grilled fish or scallops.
6. 2022 Viña Arboleda Chardonnay, Chile
£17.05–£20, Corney & Barrow, Flagship Wines, Fortnum & Mason, Winedirect, 13.5%
This is a pristine, sensitively oaked Chardonnay from Chile’s Aconcagua Costa, which has a cool maritime climate where Pacific breezes keep the vines fresh. Lemon and green apple lead into a long, briny finish, with brisk acidity that keeps the wine dancing across the palate. Precise, premium and persistent. Great gear from the Chilhué vineyard!
