Well, here we are in the midst of the hottest month of the year. It’s a good time to look for a refreshing quaff of white wine, either before or with dinner. Last week I talked about America’s favorite white grape, chardonnay. But I also mentioned that there has been a counter movement away from the increasingly cloying style of some producers. These rebels have coined the acronym ABC– *anything but chardonnay. It’s a great idea to take a look at other terrific white grapes and enjoy them during these dog days of summer.
One reader asked about Sauvignon Blanc, and that is a natural place to start. This grape is a real chameleon, originating in France and prominently grown in the Loire Valley, it also is the largest component of white Bordeaux wines, where it is typically blended with semillon. It is easily grown in both hot and cool climates, but it changes its character accordingly. In cool areas it can be musky, vegetal, grassy, even feline with great acidity to stand up to many types of rich food. It is especially good with goat cheese. Grow it in hot climates and it will try to resemble chardonnay, with pineapple and tropical fruit notes. And give it the name Pouilly-Fume or Fume Blanc and look for tart and smoky flavors, perfect for crabs or lobster. New Zealand has become a real powerhouse of sauvignon blanc, in both styles. Look for Babich or Oyster Bay at about $8, Cloudy Bay at $9, or the reigning queen of NZ, Kim Crawford at $16. From warm climate California try Pedroncelli from the Dry Creek Valley at $12 or Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc at $14.
From Northern Italy but also successfully grown in Oregon and Washington State and the Alsatian region of eastern France is pinot grigio (aka pinot gris), the white grape cousin of pinot noir. You can almost never go wrong with any pinot grigio at any price point. I suggest you stay away from one well-know producer who has gone crazy with their prices. A good choice from Italy would be Brunellesco ($10) or Bollini ($15). In the Northwest U.S. we call this grape pinot gris. Locals there love it with their wild salmon and abalone (if you can get any!) as well as almost any Asian dish. The taste is typically described as “clean, fresh, light and crisp.” You really can’t go wrong so you don’t have to overpay. For Oregon Pinot Gris try King Estate, Chehalem, Elk Cove or Adelsheim. These should all be in the $13-19 range. And from one of the oldest and most respected wine regions of the world, Alsace, look for Pinot Gris and Tokay Pinot Gris. Numerous producers make excellent, if somewhat more floral examples. Look for Trimbach, Willm, and Schlumberger starting as low as $9. You will find all the wines from Alsace to be refreshing and pleasant warm weather drinking.
Back to Europe, specifically Spain, look for Albarino, with a tilde over the “n”. Here in South Florida there are dozens of producers available, even in the grocery store, and it is widely available elsewhere. Albarino is grown in Rias Baixas on the Atlantic Coast of the Galicia region and is another fabulous and refreshing white wine known for its power, crispness and food friendliness. Look for producers such as Bodegas Martin Codax or Burgansin the $10-12 range or higher end choices such as Don Olegario.
Check out the very nice Sub-Zero wine refrigerator pictured above. It the perfect addition to a gourmet kitchen and provides three different temperature ranges for different styles of wine. It can add value to your home in most markets. Everything mentioned here can be consumed upon release, but some reds and chardonnays will benefit from longer storage.
There are many other alternatives to Chardonnay from all over the world, so your possibilities are endless. I am not wedded to any of the producers here. I strongly urge you to go out and try something new. The best way to learn is to experiment. You might find you like your ABC’s.