Dry January: two wines to tempt you

A Spanish fruity white for Sauvignon Blanc fans and a red packed with flavour from Ribera del Duero


Pulpito Verdejo 2016, Rueda, Spain
€12 from Tesco

We all know Rioja, Spain’s most famous red wine, and most of us have tried Albariño, probably the best-known white. But Spain produces a huge number of fascinating wines, often at great prices and usually made from their own native grape varieties. This Rueda, produced from the Verdejo grape, is nicely aromatic, with grapefruit, pineapple and tangerine fruits. If you are a fan of Sauvignon Blanc, this would be well worth trying out.

Tesco's Finest Ribera del Duero Reserva 2012
€12 from Tesco

The Ribera del Duero region produces big powerful red wines, full of ripe dark fruits and spicy tannins. Locally they drink it with roast lamb and pork, but it would go equally well with a juicy barbequed steak. If you usually drink Malbec from Argentina, this might be a good alternative.