German wines are perfect for summertime drinking with their moderate alcohol levels, featherweight lightness, vibrant racy acidity, food friendliness – and sheer drinkability.  Check out our picks from across the German regions for the best crisp refreshing whites.

Nahe:  MONZINGER RIESLING KABINETT 2018 Emrich Schonleber (10%)  ***STAR BUY***
£20 Justerini & Brooks (2020 vintage)
Werner and his son Frank Schonleber have created a superb Nahe estate with slate and quartzite soil vineyards crafting mouthwateringly precise long-lived Nahe Rieslings with both delicate floral aromas, pithy freshness, gentle sweetness, saline notes and minerally length.

Mosel: DEFINITION MOSEL RIESLING 2020 Loosen (10.5%)
£9.99 mixed 6 bts or £11.99 bt Majestic Wine
Good introduction to off-dry crisp zesty Riesling made by the renowned Loosen family, Ernst and Thomas, from their dizzyingly steel slopes in middle Mosel valley.  Serve with cheese or lightly spiced Asian food.

Saar: SAARBURGER RAUSCH RIESLING KABINETT 2019 Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken (8.5%)  ***STAR BUY***
£20 The Wine Society (2020 vintage); Howard Ripley Wines; Justerinis
Dorothee Zilliken makes thrilling mouthwateringly taut whites in Germany’s coolest region, the Saar valley.  This is feather light with blossomy fruits and such delicacy, underpinned with pure herbs and fine citrus flavours from Riesling grown on steep slatey slopes.

Pfalz: SCHEU ABER GEIL 2020 Emil Bauer & Sohne (12%)
£18 Field & Fawcett
Made from little-known Scheurebe grape in the warm southern Pfalz region around Landau-Nussdorf – by two brothers who are showing German wines in a new light with zippy labels and irreverent names. Grapefruit, mandarin & lime flavours, pithy, dry, light and refreshing crisp.

Rheinhessen: NIERSTEIN RIESLING 2016 Kuhling-Gillot (12%)
£23 Justerini & Brooks; The Good Wine Shop (2017 vintage)
Savoury and mineral rather than overt fruitiness is Kuhling-Gillot’s philosophy in their northern Rheinhessen vineyards of Pettenthal, Hipping and Olberg with their red slate soils.  Mature honeyed notes, smoke and spicy minerality combine in this exquisite rich dry Riesling.

Mosel: MAXIMIN HERRENBERG 1896 RIESLING TROCKEN ALTE REBEN WHITE LABEL 2018 Carl Loewen (12%) 
£27.99 Raeburn Fine Wines
From a legendary south-facing vineyard just north of Trier planted with 124 year old vines; grapefruit, lemony, hints of salinity with long lingering length.  2018 was a gift vintage with over 90 sunny days giving a rich style.  Christopher Loewen is a winemaker to watch.  Superb for the price.

Baden: MALTERDINGER WEISS 2019 Bernhard Huber (12.5%)
£24 Justerini & Brooks
Superb blend of Chardonnay and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) from Baden’s leading producer made by the current generation Julian Huber, Bernhard’s son.  This is reminiscent of flinty dry white Burgundy with a nervy freshness and elegance – serve it blind alongside a Rully or Chablis for a bit of fun.

Rheingau: THE SOCIETY’S EXHIBITION RHEINGAU RIESLING 2019 Kunstler (13%) ***STAR BUY***
£13.95 The Wine Society
A modern take on the classic style with green apple notes, fine spicy fruit, lovely length and minerally finish – made by superstar winemaker Gunter Kunstler from vineyards overlooking the Rhine on its northern banks.

Rheinhessen: PINOT BLANC 2020 Frey (13%)
£19 Vino Wines, Edinburgh; Shaftesbury Wines
Very impressive effort from Weingut Frey in the Ober-Florsheim village in southwest Rheinhessen.  Hints of apple, honey and bread, refreshingly pure fruits with zippy dry clean finish.

Mosel: GOLDSTUCK RIESLING TROCKEN 2018 Schloss Lieser (12%) ***STAR BUY***
£18 Justerini & Brooks
Piquant dry racy Riesling from Niederberg Helden vineyard near Piesport made by Thomas Haag.   A tight-rope act between acid and fruit, it has classy nervy tension, slight prickle on the palate, sappy, grapefruit pith and peel notes, all in a dry linear style.

Rheinhessen: WEINHAUS PINOT GRIS URMEER 2021 Reh Kendermann (12.5%)
£8.99 Waitrose
Dry Pinot Gris with lemon, pear and mealy notes, zingy minerally palate and soft rounded lemony flavours.  This is named after the ancient Urmeer sea which once covered the Rheinhessen region.

Nahe: RIESLING TROCKEN 2019 Schafer-Frohlich (12%)
£17.68 Howard Ripley Wines
Juicy lemon freshness, flinty bouquet, smoky stony – a beautifully sleek slender Riesling from Tim Frohlich, one of Nahe’s top Riesling winemakers, who has amassed an enviable collection of steep slopes around Bochenau, having sold off his flat land.

Join Rose’s Fine Wine Dinners at Prestonfield House Hotel Thursday 1 December & The Peat Inn Thursday 8 December www.rosemurraybrown.com