Hello wine experts…
My partner Di is very fond of Chablis and Macon-Villages, and we also scored a few bottles of Viognier at a ridiculously cheap price recently, but I’m wondering what other wines people would recommend that are a similar style to Macon-Villages but a bit cheaper for everyday drinking?
She is not fond of Sauvignon Blanc or New World Chardonnay, BTW.
Any thoughts?
Pouilly Fuissé if she likes dry and French.
You might have to be content with Pouilly Fumé though as for Fuissé did go through a stage of getting ridiculous price wise.
For a fuller white I like Meursault but not sure about current pricing.
Georgian whites can throw up some nice stuff - Tsinandali I think is one of them. Majestic used to have some and there used to be a Georgian restaurant just off Kensington High Street.
You could do worse than following the ratings in Lidl’s wine pamphlet when it’s out - it’s quite reliable. Anything 92 and up Exceptional 88 and up very drinkable.
Italian whites especially from the side towards Venice can be a lot more fun. Friuli? fruitier, still dry, and less risk of mouth-puckering than if you get the wrong Chablis.
PS why not get her into Champagne? you probably know a lot about that as I’m sure they gave you a glass at all the weddings you’ve been to 
Mine’s the Krug, but I’m happy with a decent Roederer or pink Billecart-Salmon (a dry but not at all sour pink) meanwhile.
Problem is, with chardonnay, it’s a low cropping expensive grape and as is often the case, you get what you pay for. From what I recall, not having been there for nearly seven years, most less expensive chardonnay sold in the UK is made with modern techniques (so-called ‘tropical fruit notes’ or crudely over oaked) and greatly differs in style from trad French stuff . I don’t care for it.
However, there’s lots of lesser known interesting French alternatives, but many might be difficult to find or equally expensive in the UK. Nevertheless, you might find some of the appealing characteristics and good value in a chenin from the Loire, or heavier ones from S African (one of my favourites but unobtainable here). The latter can be great value and a lot cheaper than a chardonnay of similar quality. In SA ‘bush vines’ are the local version of vieilles vignes on a wine label and are a good indicator of depth.
Look at Macon, rather than Macon-Village? A touch better value. Or Limoux.
My favourite area in Chablis is l’Homme Mort which is next to Fourchaume; not cheap but good.
Meursault is always matured in new oak so is not clean and mineral but I love it. As for price it is certainly not cheap, dependent on the producer you are talking at Euro 50+ a bottle.
Clessé-Viré?
Pouilly-Fumé cheaper alternative to Pouilly-Fuissé, but nonetheless very good, but maybe bit acidic for some palates.
Some of the northern Rhone valley white wines, e.g. Condrieu can be quite nice.
Afterthought for white: Jura, Abimes, or dry white Bordeaux - Graves, Entre-deux-Mers, etc
If red, similar to Macon-Villages, a Rasteau?
Or pretty much any half decent Cote de Rhone
There’s an idea Rice Pudding. If you’re going Jura why not go the whole hog and try the clutch of Swiss white wines like a reasonable Fendant? Would combine very nicely with a bike trip round Swiss mountains.
Your livers aren’t going to notice the difference in price, your taste buds will, so stick to Macon Villages for ordinary? (7£ aldi / lidl ?? - or has it gone up) and for fizz Cremante de Bourgogne?
and the one everyone has for fish … Muscadet!
The other way around, Viré-Clessé, but much to my partners annoyance I call it classy Vira
I like the wines from the Jura. There are some excellent chardonnays (Melon d’Arbois) but better still those produced from Savagnin, the white grape that is used to produce Vin jaune.
I love Fendant, but bit hard to find in the Auvergne 
Thank you for all the suggestions folks!
Many sound great but a bit out of our budget - for context we are typically paying £10 a bottle for Macon-Villages and Chablis goes for £15 upwards.
But I will investigate further. I usually get wine from Sainsbury’s for convenience, which is a bit lazy I know. They do have deals with a Nectar card though, and currently there is 25% off if you buy six or more bottles, though that tends to lead to drinking more since we have it in stock!
Unfortunately neither of us are massive Champagne fans - and no I rarely got offered any when I was shooting weddings! I was just the “hired help”! Sometimes I didn’t even get fed, but that’s another story…
@ChrisMann im not sure anyone actually “listened” to your request.
Alternatives to Macon Villages (we assume white)? Similar style, cheaper and don’t like Sauvignon or NW wines.
First we respond with Pouilly Fuissé 3 or 4 times the price of MVillages. Then Meursault 4 or 5 times the price.
Then someone suggested Pouilly Fume, perhaps because of the Pouilly name? It’s about 3 times the price of Macon and is a pure Sauvignon balance cépage, lady in question doesn’t like Sauvignon blanc.
The guy is trying to source a wine cheaper than Macon so let’s suggest Krug at £350 a bottle.
More comments about P Fuissé and P Fume.
Macon Villages Red similar to a Rasteau? Not really, they are polar opposites in style, body, alcohol etc. Macon with light gamay grape content and rasteau from the Rhône, big powerful grapes like Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.
Jura wines are nothing like Macon he was looking for a similar style. The relatively low yields in the Jura region often using the Savagnin and Chardonnay varieties give a distinctive flavour and style to that produced in the mâconnais region. Furthermore they are about three times the price of Macon.
Melon d’Arbois (chardonnay) nice wines but about 25 euros per bottle. Just a bit more expensive than the Macon.
Muscadet and fish? Only oysters and mussels (depending on preparation) with muscadet for me.
Nice fat white burgundies with fish thank you
If you are in France Chris and looking for a change to Macon blanc try some of the lower priced Bourgogne Aligoté wines. There are some in the supermarkets at 7euros a bottle and quite a few at 15 euros per bottle in the wine merchants. Go for the 7 euros stuff.
He’s not. He’s in Cornwall with his partner Di. Please keep up.
Thank you @Nigel1 yes the idea was to find a slightly cheaper alternative for a casual slurp, we can always splash out for posher wine when required.
When I come to France I will of course have a look around. But I live in Cornwall.
I will see if we can get Bourgogne Aligoté at a reasonable price in UK.
Alternatively, set yourselves a price limit and work steadily through all the alternative wines at that limit from wherever and whatever. A Portuguese supermarket has opened in our local town. Their wines are proving to be an excellent choice for a good value slurping wine.
Try these people. On line at good value. You can even get Macon Villages blanc at a fiver a litre.
If you enjoyed the Viognier this is good value. £7 a bottle.
I should correct my suggestion to Rully (also available in white) rather than Rasteau, which is what I was trying to recall from my memory. Thanks to @Nigel1 for pointing out my failure there. Also something from the Côte Chalonnaise might be a possibility. Obviously, the lesser known appellations (outside of France) may well be harder to find or come at a premium, in the UK. Some of the Chardonnays produced in the south at higher altitudes and not matured in oak, but rather just kept in steel vats can remain minerally and have a lower price point than your current tipple, but you would probably need to check with the dealer if nothing on bottle.
Thank you - looks amazing! Their website says they are “away on a tipple tour” whatever that means but I have “registered my interest”… can order again from Wednesday.