ONCE upon a time you equated certain grapes with certain countries and terroirs – Tempranillo was Rioja, Sangiovese was Chianti, Pinot Noir was Burgundy. All long altered by the emergence of the New World and consumer preference for ordering by the varietal name. Plus winemakers with low boredom thresholds are constantly testing little plots of imported vines against their terroir and climate to see what works where.

In Aragon they man up to roast wild boar, lamb and suckling pig, so these bottles can easily handle whatever you chuck on the barbie

Even so sometimes this global cross-fertilisation still takes you by surprise. Take Albariño, a white variety synonymous with Galicia in North West Spain and partnering shellfish to sublime effect. In recent times it has been rarely contested as the country’s best white, with suitably mounting prices. To find a New Zealand interpretation in The Northern Quarter Restaurant and Bar (TNQ) then felt kind of odd, even if it was ordered for me by the winemaker, Richard Painter. 

The presence of his Te Awa ‘Left Field’ Albariño on their wine list (£7.70 a glass, £32 a bottle) was what drew him to ordering dinner for us there as he passed through the UK on a whistle stop tour (I hope he got to Lords for what was a cracker of a test match, even if the Kiwis lost).

The website of this Gisborne-based winery is a touch flowery about the wine: “Gorgeous little citrus flowers link arms with melon and peach to dance in the sunshine, always maintaining an air of class. Meanwhile lime lingers in the shadows vying for attention.” 

An accurate summation of a lovely alternative to all those Sauvignon Blancs around. As good as many of the Spanish Albarinos we import? Definitely. 

Te Awa is part of Villa Maria, a major player in New Zealand that sets very high standards across its range. They do great things with small parcels of another ‘A List’ European white, Arneis. This is traditionally cultivated in a corner of Piemonte – I remember sharing a gloriously floral bottle on a terrace high overlooking Montforte d’Alba (read here).

Villa Maria make two versions of Arneis, both available from supermarkets. I marginally prefer Cellar Selection Arneis 2013 (Tesco, £12.99) because of itss greater concentration to the Private Bin Arneis 2013 (available from www.morrisons.com at £9.99), but both exhibit honeysuckle and lemon aromas with an attractive muskiness with grapefruit and minerality on the palate. Not unlike an Albariño, in fact.

.Roero Arneis 2013

Lidl, who have unleashed another of their small parcels of quality wine (when they’re gone they’re gone) also offer an Arneis from Roero, the area where most is made. Lidl Roero Arneis 2013 (Lidl, £7.99) is herby with a hint of aniseed and a slash of refreshing acidity. Better Lidl white value, though, comes from their fuller, more tropical fruity Portuguese Douro Vinho Branco, amazing value at £4.79. 

Another comparatively obscure (over here) Italian white, this time from Campania in the south, is Greco, a grape variety traced back to the Greeks, hence the name. It has rallied from near-extinction and in one clone form as the DOCG Greco di Tufo it is arguably the most prestigious wine of the region inland from Naples. You get a sense of that quality in the Co-operative newcomer, Truly Irresistible Greco (£6.99). With honey and hay on the nose and lingering citrus on the palate, testimony to the volcanic soils where it is grown around Benevento and the outstanding winemaking of Riccardo Cotarella.

You’ll also notice it on the shelves – thanks to a playful comic book label using an alternative name for the grape and paying homage to Benevento’s reputation as “the city of the witches. 

Summer’s not all about whites. Where would picnics and barbecues be without accompanying reds. For al fresco dining I’d suggest lighter reds and Beaujolais always fits the bill. For a straight-up Beaujolais-Villages look no further than Château de Lacarelle 2014 (£7.95) from the Wine Society, just 12 per cent alcohol accompanying its abundant fruitiness and £7.95 a bottle. Holding a share in The Wine Society gives you lifetime membership with no annual fee and no pressure to buy. The cost of a share is £40. To find out more (and order some wine) visit the website. 

.Evuna - Northern Quarter

A more complex single village Beaujolais, but still flowery and delicious when chilled slightly, go for the Fleurie 2013 from Chanson Pere et Fils, which Majestic are selling at £12.99 a bottle (or two for £9.74 each).

I’m also much taken with another affordable Majestic French red, the Bordiere Nord Syrah Grenache 2014 from the Languedoc, but tasting very Rhonelike. Vibrant fruit flavours for only £6.99.

For a robust barbecue I’d recommend popping into Spanish specialists Evuna, either on Deansgate or at Thomas Street in the Northern Quarter, to grab one of their new Bodegas Ejeanas range from Aragon. The primary brand Uva Nocturna takes its name from the fact that grapes are hand picked during the night time ensuring optimum quality. Both ends of the price scale offer terrific value. Entry level red Un Tempranillo 2014 (£8 to take away) tempered with a dash of Garnacha, is soft and blackberryish, while their flagship Un Garnacha 2007 (£22) shows the benefit of that maturity with a nose of bitter chocolate and wild berrry fruit sheathed in spicy but not obtrusive oak. 

In Aragon they man up to roast wild boar, lamb and suckling pig, so these bottles can easily handle whatever you chuck on the barbie.

Finally, one of my favourite wine events of the year takes place on Thursday, July 2 – Reserve of West Didsbury’s Summer Wine Fair. This year it’s at Didsbury Rugby Club, Simon Field, Ford Lane, M20 2RU. It runs from 6.30pm to 9.30pm and tickets cost £20 a head. Buy online here or from the shop at 176 Burton Road.

Follow Neil Sowerby on twitter at @AntonEgoManc