Planeta Eruzione Bianco 1614

One of the most interesting things that’s happening in wine at the moment is how big producers are pursuing new areas and old grape varieties and Planeta is no exception

It now has vineyards all over Sicily including the on-trend slopes of Mount Etna.

This deliciously crisp aromatic white however is not allowed to use the E-word (as at 870m the vines are grown higher than the 700m limit permitted by the DOC) but both the name and erupting volcano on the label clearly indicate its origin. It’s made mainly from the local (to Etna) carricante though there's also a 5% dash of riesling. The ABV is 13.5%

I drank it yesterday at Wright Bros Soho with Alaskan King crab but it would be good with any kind of raw or lightly cooked shellfish or with raw vegetable dishes. (Planeta, whose food pairing recommendations are unusually inspiring, also recommends fish soup, fish cooked in salt, marinated swordfish and pasta with cuttlefish and peas.)

You can find it online for £17.14 from a rather splendid-looking site called Made in Sicily which also sells all kinds of Sicilian food products though the minimum order is six bottles. Great Western Wine of Bath has the 2013 vintage for £18.50* and Chester Beer and Wine for £19.25. Planeta puts the ageing potential at 7-10 years though I think I'd prefer to drink it young and fresh.

Oh, and if you're wondering about the 1614 date on the label, it was the beginning of the longest continuous Etna eruption which lasted 10 years. Given the amount of investment in vineyards in the area let's hope there's not a repeat ...

* Less 5% if you buy 6 bottles or 10% if you buy a case.

I lunched at Wright Bros as a guest of Planeta.

Gaintza Txakoli 2013

If you dread pronouncing wine names and steer away from flute shaped bottles you may want to give this wine a wide berth if you see it on the shelf but put your prejudices aside - it’s well worth a try.

In fact it’s not sweet but bone dry, a racy blend of Hondarrabi Zuri, Hondarrabi Beltza and Gros Manseng (no, that doesn’t make it much easier does it?) that’s produced in a wine region called Getariako Txakolina just inland from the Bay of Biscay. (The name is Basque*)

It’s virtues are that it’s only 11% and tastes like a squeeze of fresh lemon juice which makes it brilliant with shellfish, obviously, but also more surprisingly with the powerful, punchy flavours of Ottolenghi’s food with which I was trying it yesterday, especially a dish of quinoa cakes with Salbitxada, a Catalan roast pepper, tomato, garlic and almond sauce. Like Portugal's Vinho Verde it also has a slight spritz.

You can buy it (oddly) on Amazon for £33.21 a case of 3 (£11.07 a bottle) or from independent merchants such as Corks of Cotham in Bristol for £11.99. Marks & Spencer also has one, the Alais Txakoli, for £11.99

Read more about the region and the producer on importer Liberty Wines website.

(Pronounce it Chuckle-lee*)

Koyle Costa Sauvignon Blanc, Colchagua Costa 2012

If you’re a Sauvignon Blanc fan but are looking for something a little different try this deliciously fresh, elegant Chilean Sauvignon.

It comes from Paradones in the Colchagua region rather than the Casablanca or Leyda regions that Chilean Sauvignon usually comes from so there’s less citrus and more of a crisp mineral, almost saline character - the vineyards that are only 9 km from the sea. That obviously makes it the perfect partner for fresh shellfish or simply grilled fish. It’s also unusually modest in alcohol for Chile at 12.5%.

Interestingly Koyle is owned by the Underraga family who have apparently sold the wine business which bears their name and devoted themselves to this ambitious new project. The vineyards are farmed organically and biodynamically - there’s an interesting post on this vintage on Chilean wine tour operator Liz Caskey’s blog Eatwine.

The grapes are apparently harvested in three different parcels and vinified three different ways - in burgundy barrels, concrete eggs and stainless steel.

Oviously the family have aspirations for the wine - it arrived wrapped in white paper - but the price of £10.50 is more than reasonable for a wine of this quality. That can’t last so I would take the opportunity to snap up what I suspect will be a future Chilean classic.

If you want to include a Chilean red in your order try the bright breezy 2013 De Martino Gallarda del Itala Cinsault which you should enjoy if you’re a Beaujolais fan though I’m not sure I’d go along with the Society’s food recommendation of toad in the hole with it (sausages baked in in batter for the uninitiated!). A nice rare piece of tuna would suit me just fine*.

* see this post for other recommendations for food pairings with Sauvignon Blanc