Italian whites, French reds

[MatthewB]

Jancis, thanks much for participating in this forum. (Your How to Taste was the first book that I read when I decided to learn more about wine. I continue to give it as a gift!)

Summer has finally hit here in the Midwest US & I'd like to add some Italian whites to my lazy choice of Sancerre. What Italian whites would you recommend that I purchase for drinking this summer? (Price range of US $10 to $20/bottle would be interesting.)

As far as reds, I've been drinking primarily Rhones and, as of the last few months, various Coteaux du Languedoc Pic St Loup. Am I missing other good reds from southern France?

Thanks in advance.

[Jancis Robinson]

Seems as though you go for whites with a bit of acidity, which is not the dominant feature in most of Italy's newly improved whites (no shortage now of decent Soaves and even Pinot Grigios but their great asset tends to be fullblown fruit). How about a really good Verdicchio such as Umani Ronchi's Casal di Serra? Or a fine Friuli white from Villa Russiz or Lis Neris?

Though if it's acid you're after, Riesling has it in spades...

As for other southern French reds, you're certainly in the right place for value with the southern Rhone and Pic St Loup. Costieres de Nimes has some very accessible reds for early drinking. There are all sorts of excellent wines being made down there, many carrying the Coteaux du Languedoc appellation but some Minervois, some Corbieres, some Faugeres, some St Chinian and some from further south in Roussillon (see my recent article on my website). Trouble is that it's difficult to give a shorthand of how to identify them. Pic St Loups' useful because it's a smallish area with an unusual density of good producers.

Talking of southern France, there are some real bargains among lesser red bordeaux available today. but identifying them in shorthand is even more tricky.