Don’t Like Oak?
Not everyone likes oak. So, if you don’t enjoy the woody, savoury and spicy qualities of oak, select ‘unoaked’ or ‘unwooded’ wine (these terms now appear on some New World Chardonnays, for example). But if you want to be safe, try the following: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or Sancerre, most Chablis, most types of Riesling (France, Germany, Austria and Australia generally avoid oak for this variety) or aromatic Alsace white wines (e.g. Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Muscat etc.). Some unoaked red wines include: most Beaujolais (made from the Gamay grape), most Dolcetto and Valpolicella (from Italy) and some Spanish reds marked ‘Joven’ (these will only have a little oak, if any).

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2007 Santa Cristina “Cipresseto” Rose IGT 189RMB
Available from Summergate. Contact 010 6562 1800 or www.summergate.com
This lovely rosé is part of the Santa Cristina range from the Italian family firm of Antinori. This is no sickly-sweet candied-berry rosé but one with serious savoury flavours and balance (made from a mix of traditional Tuscan varieties such as Sangiovese). A perfect companion for a summer’s day, this wine is bone dry, refreshing and lively with a delicate redcurrant and strawberry fragrance. The mouth-watering acidity is well-balanced with the fruit and the result is a very food-friendly wine that would go with dishes ranging from salads and patés to fish and chicken as well as lighter Chinese dishes such as shitake mushroom braised with greens or crispy-skinned chicken.

2006 Bourgogne Chardonnay Signature, Maison Champy 332RMB
Available from The Wine Republic. Contact email: orders@thewinerepublic.com or Tel: (010) 5869 7050
An elegant white Burgundy provides a refreshing but sophisticated drink for warm summer days. Maison Champy is one of several negociants to have really upped quality since the late 1990s. This is elegantly made with bright citrus fruit, delicate oak, lifting acidity and a good overall structure. Perfect with a smoked salmon or chicken salad or just by itself. An excellent wine to take as a gift (preferably pre-chilled!) to dinner parties and suitable for lighter cold starters at the Chinese banquet table.

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