Cheers!
Susy Atkins quenches your summer thirst with a lipsmacking white, a citrussy IPA and four sunshine-filled bottles.Plus: a new guide to hedgerow cocktails
Your expert guide to...
PICPOUL DE PINET
It’s unusual to find a white wine from a hot area that has a refreshing, crisp character, but that’s exactly what the picpoul grape delivers from the Languedoc in the deep south of France. The region around the village of Pinet, near the coast (which benefits from cooling sea breezes), is now renowned for its dry whites scented with fresh lemon and hedgerow blossom, citrus and apple flavours and a salty edge.
Picpoul has naturally high acidity – some believe the name means ‘lip-stinger’; others that is refers to local chickens (poulets) pecking at the grapes – so it makes a mouthwatering drop. Chill the distinctive tall, green bottles to pair with seafood and summer salads, ideally with lemon-based dressings. Try these: