Under £12 Italian Whites

A lovely introduction to cortese, the grape behind Gavi, grown across Piedmont in north-west Italy. Made in a crisp, dry style without any oak, this is light and invigorating, with pear, apple and lemon flavours. A perfect 'fridge-door' white and one that is a delight to drink with pasta dressed with a Genovese pesto sauce or a seafood salad.

From sunny southern Italian volcanic slopes, this is a bright, unoaked Greco with flavours of peach, apricot and a squeeze of lime. Dry and refreshing, with lively acidity and a gently bitter orange-pith finish. Clean, moreish and full of character.

Our Wine Champions tasters summed it up perfectly as it swept to victory in our 2026 tastings: ‘Peachy, lemony, charming and easy-drinking. This would be lovely served chilled on a nice sunny day – preferably in Italy.’ Need we add anything more? Enjoy!

Verdicchio is one of Italy's finest white grape varieties, and this example from the Le Marche region has great precision and tension with green-apple, grapefruit and saline notes that hold well on the upliftingly zesty finish. Perfect for any catch of the day, enlivened with herby marinades.

The Cantina of Gambellara was founded in 1947 and has nearly 300 members farming 600 hectares in the small denomination on the border between the provinces of Vicenza and Verona, only a few miles east of Soave. They merged in 2015 with the Cantina dei Colli Vicentini and the talented Alberto Marchisio is now responsible for winemaking. He has selected the best grapes from the volcanic hills of the denomination's natural amphitheatre to make this Gambellara Classico, which is elegant and crisp. An attractive citrus and pear-flavoured wine, with a dry linear style and a moreish salinity. Lovely with pasta in creamy sauces.

A delightful, original, full-flavoured white made from organically grown trebbiano, pecorino, passerina, chardonnay and a little fiano. Dry, bright, and crisp and very vibrant with yellow peach, citrus zest and lemon verbena character. The Saladini Pilastri farm was established 300 years ago and is the largest private estate in the southern Marche. The limestone hills of Spinetoli and the rolling sunny hills around Ascoli, where the 140 hectares of vineyards extend, create wines of high quality. Saladini Pilastri is one of the earliest exponents of organic practices which have been in place since 1995.