Six summery white wines you’ll want to know
Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are known by everyone. But the wine world has so much more to offer! There are thousands of grape varieties, and every year a few more are added through new crossings or (re)discoveries. So: six summery white wines you’ll also want to get to know.
1. Albariño (Spain)
One of the most exciting Spanish white wines is Albariño from Rias Baixas, rugged and rain-soaked Galicia on the Atlantic Ocean. Here, the albariño grape, with its small fruit and thick skin, is unfazed by the rain. Wines made from the grape of the same name bring Viognier to mind, with flavors such as apricot, lime zest, peach and grapefruit. But unlike Viognier, these flavors are combined with surprisingly fresh acidity and a salty note. It’s no coincidence that Albariños are also called ‘wines of the sea’; they are delicious with crustaceans and shellfish.
WINE TIP: Bodega Viña Costeira Vía Barrosa Albariño, € 14.95
2. Torrontés (Argentina)
Everyone knows Malbec, but the typical Argentine white grape torrontés is less well known. A shame, because delicious wines are made from torrontés as a mono cépage (that is, 100% torrontés). In Argentina, this has actually only been the case since the 1980s; before that, torrontés was used only for young table wines and, very occasionally, as a flavor component in another wine. Winemaker Susana Balbo managed to turn the bitter torrontés into a fine, fresh and spicy wine with a distinctive aroma of rose petals, blossom and tropical fruit. Torrontés wines have international allure and, in our view, deserve just as much worldwide fame as the Argentine football team—although we still have a bone to pick with them…
WINE TIP: Susana Balbo Crios Torrontés, € 12.95
3. Vermentino (Italy)
Italy’s best-kept secret? Rugged and untamed Sardinia! And here, playful and fruity wines are made from vermentino, the island’s most characteristic grape. Sometimes rich, but usually light and lime-like, mineral and lively with citrus acidity that instantly makes the sun shine. You also find this grape in southern France, by the way, but there it is known as ‘rolle’. Vermentinos are ideal food wines; they hold their own alongside more powerful, richly flavored, spicy dishes. Pasta with cream sauce, grilled prawns, or a typical Italian salad with arugula, Parmesan and bresaola (dried beef): anything goes.
WINE TIP: Cantina Mesa Primo Bianco Vermentino di Sardegna DOC, € 11.95
4. Soave (Italy)
Every year, liters of Soave are consumed in the Netherlands, but hardly anyone knows the garganega grape. Strange, really, because Gar-gááá-ne-ga, as it is pronounced, has been cultivated in northern Italy for centuries and is the grape used for Soave. Soave refers not only to the wine, but is also the name of the Italian wine region and the name of the centuries-old, picturesque village of Soave (near Verona). Since 2003, the wine region has had a DOCG, the highest Italian quality designation for a wine region. There are also 33 ‘grand cru’ areas designated where you can find the finest Soaves. Soaves with beautiful, delicate freshness, citrus and a hint of nuttiness can easily compete with the most expensive Chablis wines. And to think that in the 1970s, garganega was still considered a banal, inferior grape…
WINE TIP: Dal Cero Soave DOC, € 9.95
5. Vinho Verde (Portugal)
The Vinho Verde wine region, in the wet north of Portugal near Spain’s Rias Baixas, literally means ‘green wine’. Fun fact: rosé and red wine are also produced here. The name probably refers to the green landscape or to the fact that most of these wines are best drunk young. White Vinho Verdes are often a blend of several grape varieties, with hard-to-pronounce names such as loureiro, trajadura, alvarino, arinto, avesso and azal. They are quintessentially cheerful summer wines with refreshing acidity, a low alcohol percentage (between 9 and 12%), flavors of green apple and floral aromas, combined with tropical fruit. And, to top it all off, a characteristic little fizz that tingles on your tongue.
WINE TIP: Casa da Senra Loureiro Vinho Verde DOC, € 13.50
6. Muscadet (France)
The Loire is best known for the white wines from appellations with impressive names such as Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé (both made from sauvignon blanc). But the Loire has more aces up its sleeve, such as the local grape melon de bourgogne, from which Muscadet is made. The wine region of the same name lies near the city of Nantes. Muscadet is the quintessential salty white wine with oysters and other seafood from the Atlantic coast. A dry Muscadet may not be as complex and layered as a Sancerre, but it is very enjoyable to drink ‘as is’, with oysters, a pot of mussels or pan-fried scallops. The best wines come from Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine—the wines with ‘Sur lie’ on the label are wines that mature on the yeast cells, giving them more texture, complexity, tension and body.
WINE TIP: Domaine David & Duvallet Clos du Ferré Muscadet Sèvre Maine sur Lie, € 11.95
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