Cheap and cheerful whites

A few weeks ago the Wine Society had an offer called "Off the Beaten Track" which tempted me into buying a mixed case. So far we've had two of them, both whites.

The first was a Bourboulenc from Domaine de Limonet, 2010. This is a Vin de Pays de l'Aude which is from the Languedoc. It was 13% alcohol. Pale gold in colour, it was fresh and had good acidity. It wasn't complicated but had a little bit of oak and went well with crab. We felt it was the kind of wine to drink young. It would normally be £7.75 a bottle which seemed about right. I enjoyed it but I think by the end of the bottle we were getting a bit bored with it, so while it was interesting to try, I doubt whether I'd have it again.

The second was this Quinta da Lagoalva, Talhao 1, 2011 from the Tejo region in Portugal. I know very little about Portuguese whites other than Vinho Verde, and this proved to be a pleasant surprise. It was quite floral on the nose and distinctly lemony and zingy on the palate and went well with the lamb biryani we had for supper. Again, 13% alcohol, fresh and light, and one to be drunk young. According to the notes, it's a blend of arinto, verdelho, sauvignon blanc, alvarinho and fernão pires. I felt this would have wide appeal and would be a good party wine. At £6.75 a bottle it seemed good value and I'd certainly consider getting some more.