J Lohr is one of California’s most beloved and respected family wine estates — founded in 1973 by Jerry Lohr, a man of genuine vision and restless curiosity who spent years searching for the right terroir before finding it on the cool, windswept coast of Monterey County. The Bay Mist Riesling is named for the morning fog that rolls in from Monterey Bay — that same cold Pacific influence that makes this stretch of California so extraordinary for cool-climate varieties, and that gives the Bay Mist its quite distinctive and deeply appealing character. Riesling thrives in cool conditions, and Monterey County — with its long, fog-cooled growing season, intense sunshine, and the relentless afternoon winds that slow ripening and preserve natural acidity — is one of the finest places in the New World to grow it. The result is a Riesling of real freshness and precision: off-dry in style, with the vibrant, mouth-watering acidity that is the hallmark of great Riesling, and a lovely balance of fruit and freshness that makes it one of the most versatile and food-friendly whites in our range. Peach, apricot, and citrus blossom on the nose; crisp, refreshing, and gently sweet on the palate, with a clean, lingering finish that makes it as compelling on its own as it is alongside spiced dishes, Asian cuisine, or anything with a lick of heat. Not requiring pretence or shouting to show how good it is — the Bay Mist simply delivers, vintage after vintage. At £19.99, it is California Riesling at its most charming.