Crispy White Wines Of The Summer

SAUVIGNON BLANC

Bright, crisp, refreshing, and at times juicy with concentrated tropical fruits; and always easy-drinking. Sauvignon Blanc is a high-acid, floral grape known for its green bell pepper and grassiness flavors. Sounds odd, I know, but it makes the wine taste like more than just a fruit bomb.

It’s home is in the Loire Valley, France, but its plantings stretch to other parts of the country — Bordeaux and Burgundy. But the current popularity of the grape is thanks to Marlborough, New Zealand.

Loire Valley, France

Made famous in the Loire Valley, I recommend trying Sauvignon Blanc from the areas of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. The latter of the two is known for having a hint of smokiness, and both have great minerality which adds a somewhat prickly texture and complexity.

Bordeaux, France

In Bordeaux, specifically within the region known as Graves AOC, Sauvignon Blancs are common blending partners to Semillon, another white grape.

These blends can range from easy drinking and fruity, and are bright with citrus, grapefruit, lemon, wet stone, and honeysuckle flower.

Blends coming from Pessac-Léognan, a sub-region of the larger Graves AOC, are creamier. These wines tend to have flavors of crème brûlée, hazelnut, citrus, beeswax, orange zest, ginger, and nectarine as well as lime, minerality, passionfruit, guava, mango, honeysuckle, pineapple, smoke.

Burgundy, France

Burgundy is best known for world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and at the tip of this region is Chablis, where some of the world’s finest Chardonnay is grown. But about 20km south, is Saint-Bris, the only appellation in Burgundy that can grow Sauvignon Blanc; a rarity to say the least, and one worth exploring for that reason.

Sauvignon Blanc from Saint-Bris is known to have flavors of “grapefruit, citrus fruits (mandarin orange, peach), and crushed blackcurrant leaves with sometimes exotic scents (lychee).” Complex fruits – jammy and preserved – come to light as these wines age, and the result is a wine tasting fuller-bodied that still has florality.

Like most Sauvignon Blancs, it can be drunk immediately. But with those from this region, you are welcome to let it age in the bottle for a few years for its complexities to increase. 

Marlborough, New Zealand

Marlborough re-popularized Sauvignon Blanc in the 1980s with its riper style that is refreshing with flavors of gooseberry, guava, and grapefruit.

It’s safe to argue that Sauvignon Blancs from here are the most famous at the moment.

VIOGNIER

A full-bodied white wine that is lower in acid but makes up for that with its florality and refreshing flavors of honeysuckle, rose, tangerine, peaches, and pineapple depending on its ripeness.

Condrieu, Northern Rhone Valley, France

Viognier from here has an intense bouquet of florality and can be rich with apricot and passionfruit.

Condrieu of the Northern Rhone Valley of France is considered the birthplace of this white grape. This northern portion of the Northern Rhone is the only region of this valley that exclusively makes 100% Viognier wines, refusing to make Syrah, a red wine which has famed the entire Valley.

GEWÜRZTRAMINER

“Goo-vert-zrah-mean-er” — Go ahead and call it ‘gooey’ for short.

This one is particularly fun for me, not just because of the name but because it is pungent with florality, and is known for its lychee flavor and a minerally texture that is prickly and almost slightly effervescent. You may also taste lemongrass, ginger, apricots, and grapefruit.

It is also deeper in color than many other white wines because the skins of the grape are actually pink, rather than golden like most other white grapes.

Alsace, France

In this French region, Gewürztraminer is known as a ‘noble’ grape. It is one of four grapes that has been claimed by Alsatian winemakers to produce the most exceptional wines in Alsace and is therefore allowed to be planted in the best vineyards, known as Grand Crus. It is in these Grand Cru sites that the grapes receive the most sunlight and heat so they may ripen well in the cool climate. These wines are typically dry and low in acidity, are medium-bodied.

ALBARIÑO

Rias Baixas, Spain

Refreshing with citrus fruits, peaches, white flowers, zest acidity, and some salinity due to its maritime location.

Albariño is a white grape native to Rias Baixas, Spain, in the northern part of the country that borders the Atlantic Ocean. This region is known as Green Spain, as there is much greenery and rain from the Atlantic’s maritime influence.

Vinho Verde, Portugal

Vinho Verde is a white blend made in the region of Vinho Verde, Portugal near the Atlantic. Like in Rias Baixas, the main grape is Albariño, though in Portugal it is called Alvarinho. It is often married with the white grape Loureiro.

This blend has crisp acidity and a minerally texture that is almost effervescent. Compared to Spain, the Alvarinho from Portugal has more tropical fruit characteristics, and is more acidic. Its blending partner, Loureiro, adds great florality.

The result is a wine with lemon, lemongrass, gooseberry, grapefruit, and salinity due to its location near the Atlantic.

CHENIN BLANC

A white grape made famous in the Loire Valley, France. It is naturally crisp and floral with notes of apple, pear, honeydew, and citrus.

In cooler climates, like the Loire Valley, the high-quality easy sipper is delicate but complex. In the moderate mediterranean climate of Stellenbosch, South Africa, the profile of Chenin can range from crisp and bright to richer and full-bodied with tropical flavors.

Loire Valley, France

In Savennières, the highest-quality Chenin Blanc are made – dry, crisp, able to age for a decade. The moderately-warm climate of Savennières receives much sunlight allowing the grapes to ripen well, while its location to the Loire River, provides a cooling effect for this grape to ripen gradually. These factors lead to a wine that can have notes of guava, apricot, flowers, and a creamy texture.

Because the amount of grapes produced on the vines are low (small yield), and because its wines are sought after, Savennières Chenin Blanc can be on the more expensive side.

For those looking for a more reasonably-priced but still delicious dry style, the region of Anjou (which encloses Savennières) is a great region to look for when shopping for Chenin Blanc.

South Africa

Chenin Blanc, also referred to as a Steen in South Africa, has a global reputation for being of high quality. This climate allows for Chenin Blanc to range in flavors based on where and how the grapes are grown and the winemaking techniques.

Closer to the Atlantic, Walker Bay receives coastal influence, resulting in a cooler climate. The Chenin Blanc from here don’t see much if any oak treatment and are bright and zesty with green apple and pear.

Further inland, Stellenbosch has a reputation for aging their Chenin Blanc in oak barrels, which results in flavors of baked apple, nutmeg, cream, and caramel, but still has high acidity that makes your mouth water.

PICPOUL DE PINET

Languedoc-Roussin, France

A lesser-known white grape of France, Picpoul de Pinet (often referred to as just Picpoul), translates to “lip stinger” – a reference to its zippy acidity that makes this wine bright and mouthwatering.

Grown mostly in Languedoc-Roussin in Southern France, these grapes produce wines with notes of flowers, minerality, melon, honeydew, and peach.