The last month of summer always seems to come around before the season has even got underway! For many it is the holiday season and people are heading away for a break before the weather turns and school starts again. And of course, we can’t forget the most important date on the Game calendar - The Glorious Twelfth, when Grouse can again grace our tables.

In the garden we are surrounded by a veritable cornucopia of vegetables, fruit and herbs. Courgettes, aubergines, tomatoes, carrots, artichokes, French beans, the list is endless! It is the most productive month and all over the country people will be busy making jams, chutneys and pickles. It’s a wonderful time for the keen cook. Make sure to have a look for this month’s wine and dine feature for our fabulous summer pudding recipe.

As we are all so busy making the most of the weather, our wines of the month are great for enjoying with simple al fresco lunches or dinners.

Joseph Cattin Pinot Blanc, Alsace, France 2021

Most of us will have endured more than one disappointing glass of poor pinot grigio. Acidic enough to peel the enamel from your teeth, bland and characterless. So, time for a change! Try this lovely Pinot Blanc from Alsace. Pinot Blanc produces wines with a lovely, rounded texture and restrained acidity, making them delicious wines to drink in the sunshine.

Despite being quite northerly, Alsace gets more hours of sunshine per year than St Tropez, due to the Vosges mountains. They serve as a barrier to the prevailing westerly winds and force clouds to rise over them, dropping their moisture as rain on the hill tops, leaving Alsace sunny and dry. Long hours of sunshine and relatively low temperatures make for a long, slow ripening season. Perfect for Pinot Blanc. The Cattin family have been making wine here the 1720, having fled religious persecution of the Canton of Zurich, and are the largest family-owned producers in Alsace.

Taste: The nose is fresh and appealing with ripe apple, peach and gentle floral tones. A delicious glass which will tempt you away from run of the mill Pinot Grigio.

Try: A good accompaniment to poached chicken, salads and freshwater fish. A classic Tarte a l’Ognion is a match made in heaven!

£14.70   AUGUST OFFER £11.30

Cielo Santerive Soave DOC, Veneto, Italy 2023

For hundreds of years, Italy’s finest white wine came from the Soave vineyards, set in the rolling hills around Verona and competed with the very finest that Chablis had to offer. Sadly, demand for bulk wine throughout the 1970’s and 80’s saw a huge increase in production with a corresponding decline in quality and by the 1990’s Soave needed to re-focus. Instead of producing dull, thin characterless wines, a new generation of winemakers started to concentrate on making wine to reflect the true nature of the Garganega grapes. These days modern wineries, such as Cielo, are producing Soave that is lean, gentle, unpretentious and perfectly suited to outdoor eating.

Taste: Bright aromas of lemon, apple, pear, and white flowers. Super fresh and clean on the palate thanks to the bright, zesty acidity that adds drive and tension. Green and citrus fruit and white pepper on the finish.

Try: Pair with a picnic salad of little gems, feta, lemon and broad beans, cold poached salmon or falafel.

£10.70   AUGUST OFFER £8.25

Hacienda Lopez de Haro Crianza Rioja, Spain 2020

Made from the most native grape from Rioja, Tempranillo. While most of us are familiar with Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon et al, Tempranillo has become the third most widely planted red grape in the world and goes by many different names. Within Spain alone it is also known as Cencibel, Ull de Libre, Tinto Fino, Tinto del Pais… all in all it has over 80 synonyms!

Bodegas Classica is based the picturesque village of San Vicente de la Sonsierra, at the foot of the Toloño Mountain range. Built in 2006, the winery is at the heart of the 70-hectare vineyard and crafts its wines in the traditional Rioja style, with a modern twist as both French and American oak is used to add complexity. The López de Haro range is a great introduction into Rioja and offer excellent value for money.

Taste: Attractive nose of ripe brambles, bilberries and a hint of tobacco. Creamy texture with black raspberry, blackberry and cherry on the palate integrated with toasty coffee-hinted oak. Lingering, smooth finish with a touch of spice.

Try: With all sorts of meat and vegetable tapas. Equally at home with a slice of your favourite Pizza as a butterflied leg of lamb straight off the BBQ.

£14.20   AUGUST OFFER £10.50

Gilbert Chon Cabernet Franc 'Le Tristan', Loire Valley, France 2020

A delightful summer red from one of the Loire’s star producers. Founded in 1670, Gilbert Chon is now in the hands of the 13th generation of the family. Based at the Atlantic end of the Loire valley, they specialise in producing traditional wines of the area. Cabernet Franc is one of the world’s most important varieties whose offspring include Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere. Originating in the Basque country it now grows all over the world from Europe to China and even Kazakhstan! It has been a fixture in Bordeaux since the 17th century and was introduced to the Loire by Cardinal Richelieu in around 1630. It is particularly suited to the Loire as its growing cycle is a little ahead of Cabernet Sauvignon, needing less heat to ripen fully. In the Loire, it produces wines of medium to full body with relatively low tannins which are just right for summer drinking. You can even serve it lightly chilled.

Taste: Lovely herby aromas with notes of blackcurrant leaf and violets. Really juicy with ripe silky tannins and dark black fruit and uplifting acidity.

Try: With Porchetta, chorizo and merguez sausages from the BBQ. Also, a great match for Aubergine Parmigiana or a grilled goat’s cheese salad.

£12.70   AUGUST OFFER £9.30

We would love to see your pictures of you enjoying our wines. Please join the conversation and tag us on Instagram @boncoeurfinewines.