Alain Geoffroy Petit-Chablis, France 2018 (14.99, oxfordwine.co.uk) Wines dont have to be showy to be good. The strongly scented rose garden gewrztraminer, gooseberry bush sauvignon blanc may be beautiful in their way and in the right moment, but there are times when you want something a little quieter, a little more accommodating, a little less likely to shout over the food. Chablis is a prime example of this. The wines of this chardonnay enclave in the northern limits of Burgundy may have become perceptibly fuller and richer as the climate emergency has raised temperatures in recent years. But theyre still judged on their ability to provide a steel pulse of quicksilver refreshment rather than on the power of their aromas. Two to refresh and accompany fish on a hot summer evening from the generous 2018 vintage: Alain Geoffroys tingling, mineral, lemony use of the supposedly lesser-quality vines of the Petit-Chablis appellation; and the almost electrically charged but exquisitely polished Domaine des Htes Chablis 2018 (20.95, leaandsandeman.co.uk).

Heretat Montrub HMR White Xarel.lo, Peneds, Spain 2019 (13.95, jeroboams.co.uk) Chablis isnt the only French dry white wine style where the emphasis is on texture and feel rather than on any bountiful, leap-out-glass flavour. In their different ways, the subtly saline and yeasty, bone-dry wines of Muscadet from out west in the Loire estuary (look out for Domaine de lEcu or Domaine Luneau-Papin), and the delicately floral spring meltwater freshness of the wines made from jacqure in Savoie (Domaine lIdylle and Gilles Berlioz) are also both capable of playing the discreet accompanying role to, respectively, classic moules marinires and sushi. A certain subtlety of aroma mixed with a truly distinctive texture of chalk and minerals also marks out the increasingly excellent still white wines made from xarel.lo in Catalan cava country, in Peneds. Celler Credos luminously lipsmacking Miranius 2018 (from 8.21, winebuyers.com; lescaves.co.uk) is a modern classic from the excellent fizz producers Recaredo, while HMR brings a whisper of white flowers, dill and pears to its super-refreshing palate.

Pikes Hills & Valleys Riesling, Clare Valley, Australia 2019 (from 12.45, frontierfinewines.co.uk; mumblesfinewines.co.uk; oxfordwine.co.uk) Australia is still associated with exuberant fruitiness in the minds of many wine drinkers. And in the case of a wine such as Pikes Hills & Valleys Riesling thats entirely justified: theres a good squeeze of the lime that is characteristic of the riesling made in South Australias Clare Valley, plus a dose of sweet peachiness and a dash of some more exotic fruit. Still, whats really appealing (and food-friendly) about that wine is its swishing, flashing-blade steely spine, a quality even more in evidence in the wines of top Clare Riesling producer Jeffrey Grosset. Grosset Polish Hill, one of Grossets two great single-vineyard Rieslings, has an almost austere quality when its just released, but the energy and tension in each mouthful makes it so compelling. You can find a bottle of the latest, 2019, release for just north of 30 (bbr.com; hedonism.co.uk).

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Soft white wines that pack a punch - The Guardian