HURRAY summer's here. Well, it popped in, then left, then kinda called back again, but only because it had left its hat by mistake. Now it's headed off to the shops and none of us know if it'll come back and stay a while, or even take its coat off.

But still, there's no rain forecast today and, given we don't get too many chances to make any kind of hay, surely we can find time to crack some ice into a bucket and stick in a couple of cold, crisp, refreshing Pinot Grigio bottles while sitting in our gardens, or indeed in any one of York's wonderful green spaces, taking with us that nice underused picnic hamper that's been gathering dust in the loft. Just don't forget the fleece and umbrella in case it clouds over.

Now, this particular white wine has a few names - Pinot Gris in France, Grauburgunder in Germany and Rulander in, erm, Germany too - but is most commonly known in these parts as Pinot Grigio, due to the Italians being probably the best at making it for the masses.

You do get New World PGs and these are often similar to the French ones hailing from Alsace, whereby they have a spicy, full-bodied style, with low acidity, high alcohol and various fruity flavours from melon to mango.

In Italy, Pinot Grigio grapes are usually harvested early to retain the refreshing acidity and keep overbearing fruitiness to a minimum - basically making it cleaner, fresher and, in layman's terms, easier to throw down to quench thirst on a warm day with or without the picnic.

On that basis, you don't tend to get bad PG, just boring PG, if and when too much of the fruit flavours are taken out with nothing left in their place.

However, get a good one and you're laughing (and not only because it's so easy to chuck down that you lose your senses).

One such offering, with a touch more of that fresh fruit, is La Vis Storie di Vitie Pinot Grigio, which has recently gone on a cracking discount at Waitrose, down from £9.49 to £6.29 until the end of May.

Slightly floral, slightly lemony, this will go really well with salad or fish, even rich pasta dishes, but is one to drink on its own too, with more than enough going on to keep everyone happy whatever the occasion.

Just up the aisle, meanwhile, is an interesting number from Hungary - and one which is much nicer than its terrible label suggests and which won't break the bank regardless of how you feel about it.

It's the Hilltop Estate (yes, an English name for an English market) Pinot Grigio, which is down from £6.99 to £5.59 for the rest of this month.

Crisp like any good PG, with apple and a little citrus fruit. Again it's one to have on its own - it's said to be a lovely apéritif - and it will also go well with roast chicken if you decide its too parky for a picnic and want to stay indoors.