An introduction to some less-well-known white wines to get you out of your Chardonnay rut.
These days, shopping for wine can be quite a confusing undertaking. In recent years as the American wine drinking public has become more receptive to the huge array of wines produced around the world, wine merchants have reacted accordingly, and now it’s not just the specialty stores stocking varietals from exotic and distant shores. Many wine departments now offer a vast array of options, and consumers can have a hard time identifying the good values. It’s tough to gamble on a new wine and risk disappointment, so often it’s tempting to settle for a familiar label instead. This is a pity because many of the wines now becoming available offer terrific value while appealing to a wide range of palates. With that in mind, and with plenty more hot weather still to come, here are some summertime white wine favorites to get you out of your chardonnay rut.
Southern France offers great value in wine. Unlike giants from the country’s famous wine regions of Burgundy or Bordeaux, wineries in the South of France produce consistently good wine at good prices. In the Languedoc region, Domaine Paul Mas produces both reds and whites of good quality. These are estate wines (meaning the winery owns the vineyards from which grapes are sourced rather than buying grapes or juice from other local growers) crafted for charming everyday enjoyment. The Picpoul de Pinet ($12) displays crisp clean fruit notes and pairs with fresh seafood or white meats very well. The wine rivals other whites in the price range, but because the Picpoul grape is not well recognized compared with the galaxy of pinot grigios and chardonnays it tends to get overlooked.
Grüner Veltliner is a grape from Austria beloved by wine aficionados around the world for its vibrant acidity and clean, refined flavors. The price of most grüner veltliner makes it prohibitively expensive for everyday drinking, but the Loimer “Lois” Grüner Veltliner ($15) is a reasonably priced example that makes a good introduction to Austrian wines. The “Lois” displays defined fruit aromas of citrus and tree fruit, and makes for delightful poolside drinking or an excellent aperitif on account of its lightness.
If you are tired of drinking all that grapefruit- and gooseberry-flavored sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, try Dry Creek’s Fumé Blanc ($12) from the Sonoma Valley. Dry Creek Winery is celebrating forty years in the business this year, and their Fumé Blanc (sauvignon blanc) still tastes the same as it did when I tried the first vintage all those years ago. This wine is crisp and citrusy, with notes of lemongrass and herbs. Excellent with fresh seafood or enjoyable all by itself. A perfect summer crowd pleaser.
A white Chateauneuf du Pape from France will cost you somewhere in the mid-forties. But the American version, the Daou “Chemin de Fleurs” ($32) costs considerably less while displaying many of the former’s trademark complexities. This wine is produced in the Paso Robles region of California—an area known for its excellent quality Rhone varietals. This wine’s blend of unfamiliar-sounding Grenache Blanc Roussanne and Viognier grapes makes it intimidating enough, and then there’s its proprietary name (a sign that it contains no dominant grape varietal). However, Chemin de Fleurs’ luscious layers of mango and peach flavors are beautifully matched with aromas of honeysuckle and orange blossom to create a luxurious drinking experience. If you’re tired of that oaky old chardonnay, the Chemin de Fleurs makes a terrific alternative.
Many consumers are quick to disregard riesling as being too sweet. But the dry rieslings available in the market today make for satisfying summer sipping and are excellent accompaniments to spicier foods—from Cajun to Asian. Try the Bookwalter “Notebook” from Washington State’s Columbia Valley. At 13.2% alcohol by volume, this wine has bright, fresh fruit flavors of green apple and citrus and a deliciously floral nose. And at $11 a bottle, where’s the harm in trying one? So go ahead, break out of that Chardonnay rut; you might find you like it out here.
Steve Staples has been encouraging the enjoyment of wine in Baton Rouge for twenty-five years. By day a rep with Glazer’s Companies of Louisiana, by night Steve teaches several wine appreciation classes as part of the LSU Leisure Classes program.
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