Spring is just around the corner! I can almost taste it in the air, can’t  you? Well, maybe I’m being overly optimistic but it won’t be long before we’re out sitting along the river, basking in warm sun.

Although Pinot Grigio is often the white wine of default when choosing a wine for picnics or garden barbeques, the wines of Spain are often delightful white wine companions and can have a lot more character then the  bland and  uninteresting Pinot Grigio that gets pawned off on the British public.

Rioja is best known for its red wines but they also produce some cracking white wines that are not overly fruity, sweet or uninteresting.

Viura is one of the indigenous grapes of the region and has been made into white wine for centuries. The Monopole white wine has been made by the same family since the late 1800s, the Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana. Although it is a classic wine from the region, the family produces a modern, forward looking wine, unoaked and a very lively wine. It is quite refreshing to have a Spanish wine made with no oak; a light and friendly wine, it has a crisp citrus character on the nose and a palate of ripe tropical fruit.

As it is a wine from Rioja, it has the stamp that guarantees that is has passed quality control and all genuine wines from Rioja must carry it. A great  Spring time wine, it is available from many fine wine merchants, including, The Bottle Shop, Grape Sense and Partridges of Sloane Street among others.

It retails for £8.25. It may cost a bit more, but well worth it.