6 wonderful whites for summer salads

Sunshine, blues skies and dining al fresco makes for a vivid array of salads… from starters to mains, to a crudités platter.

Especially when the weather’s even warmer, and thoughts turn to something fresh, balanced and decked with a dressing.

And with a choice of white wines as diverse as those mixed greens, colourful veggies, crunchy bits and tasty dressings, it should be an appetising style to make the flavours soar.

Here’s what’s fresh and full of verve…

One of the most popular wine styles in the world, Australia’s staking its claim to pinot grigio – and the results are great. Today, it’s one of the country’s most fashionable whites and this keenly priced pinot with its subtle aromas of ripe pears and apples, crisp, zesty freshness and vibrant acidity, is spot-on with leafy green salads.

Adventurous wine-lovers will be rewarded when they pluck this pretty white from the shelf. A native variety to Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, the wine displays delightful florals combined with zesty notes. Fresh and zippy on the palate with a fruit basket of apples and pear, crisp minerally note and citrus accents. Ideal with spicy Thai salad.

A deliciously flavoursome chenin blanc with appealing aromas of Golden Delicious apples, ripe peach and citrus; similar flavours unfold with more apple characters, pear and quince, with balanced acidity and lemony freshness on the finish. One for a chicken Caesar salad.

The definition of a snappy savvy blanc from the sunny Languedoc, this thirst-quenching white exhibits herbaceous aromatics and it is packed with gooseberry, zingy lime, passionfruit, and lovely citrus freshness. Versatile and food friendly, think goat’s cheese or Greek salad, and crudités.

A delicious example of a rounded, white Rioja made from a blend of viura and malvasia grapes. The creamy, lemony flavours are shaped by four months in oak, giving it a subtle toastiness with hints of apples, pear and tropical fruit; with balanced acidity and lingering finish. A perfect pairing with seafood salad and lemon garlic dressing.

There’s a telltale Atlantic freshness and saline streak to this zesty white – and beautifully pure expression of the albariño grape. A mouthwatering combination of florals, lime, pear and wet stone fruit, enticing salinity with tangy, lemony acidity lifting the finish. As tantalising as the striking blue bottle, it’s one to drink with seafood salads.