We’re in the prime heat of summer and white wines are especially enticing. There is a lot of variety out there and here is a good start for your shopping.
New Zealand wines, especially Sauvignon Blanc, are known for bold, vibrant flavors Sauvignon Blancs. The 2021 Ponga ($15) from Marlborough fruit, it is crisp and pronounced, striking aromas of ripe citrus, gooseberry, and tropical fruit, accented with chalky, mineral tones and progressing into flavors of white peach and grapefruit and pineapple
South Africa produces more Chenin Blanc than any other wine-producing region (including its home in the Loire Valley) and it arguably is the country’s most successful white wine. The 2019 Raats Original ($15) is unwooded with mouthwatering yellow apple, melon, lemon, and kiwi. But if you come across the 2017 Capensis “Silene” Chardonnay ($40), from a high altitude vineyard in Stellenbosch, don’t hesitate to enjoy its juicy citrus, pineapple and creamy notes.
When we think of Italian wine, we mostly think of red wine. But Italian whites are a surprising source of flavor diversity. A good example is the bright, aromatic 2019 Luretta “Boccadirosa” ($20). From Colli Piacentini (the hills of Piacenza at the western end of Emilia-Romagna) in view of the Apennines to the north and the Po River Valley to the south, it is made from organically farmed malvasia aromatica di Candia grapes. It is an aromatic wine opening with bright tones of orange, tangerine, lychee, honey and marzipan accented with Sherry notes.
Southern Italian wines, long underappreciated, have recently seen an increase in interest as their quality has improved and winemakers recover forgotten grape varieties. Each wine below recently won an award in the “Sud Top Wine” competition.
Southern Italian wines, long underappreciated, have recently seen an increase in interest. the regions of Sardinia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, winemakers are recovering forgotten grape varieties.
2019 Guido Marsella Fiano di Avellino ($22) Campania; rich almond, fresh apple and stone fruits, savory and earthy notes
2020 Mesa “Giunco” Vermentino di Sardegna ($22) Sardinia; delightful tropical fruits, citrus, pear herbs, tangy but round
2020 Casa Comerci “Rèfulu” ($20) Calabria, indigenous greco bianco grape, ambient yeast fermentation; juicy and tangy citrus, peach and melon, mineral and herbal hints
2020 Ippolito 1845 Pecorello ($15) Calabria, native pecorello grape; vibrant, bright, lemon and peach, mineral tones friendly and enticing
Austria is most known for Grüner Veltliner, a refreshing citrusy, spicy white. But Austria produces other enticing white wines. The three below also demonstrate good aging potential.
2019 Fuhrgassl-Huber Ried Gollin 1ÖTW Nussberg Gemischter Satz ($30) Gemischter Satz is a field blend containing at least three grape varietals, grown together, harvested and fermented together. This one is mostly muscat; delightfully fresh and intense, yellow apple, orange, peach, creamy texture
2020 Zahel Orange T ($24) biodynamically farmed in the Vienna winegrowing region, the world’s only city also classified as its own winegrowing region, local orangetraube grape (Orange T) usually only used in field blends; refreshing, subtle sweetness, elegant, uplifting, intense peach/apricot fruit mineral and spice tones
2020 Stift Klosterneuberg “Zierfandler Rotgipfler” ($22) from the Klosterneuburg Monastery Wine Estate; two rare native varieties,
2020 Stift Klosterneuberg “Zierfandler Rotgipfler” ($22) from the Klosterneuburg Monastery Wine Estate, which claims to be Austria’s oldest wine estate (since 1114); these two rare, native varieties are vinified into a rich wine with friendly acidity, ripe mango, apple plum, and lime
The country of Georgia is widely recognized as having the oldest known evidence of wine – archaeological findings date Georgian winemaking over 8,000 years. The country is home to several hundred native grape varieties. One I tasted recently, from the tsolikouri grape, the 2019 Teliani Valley ($15) shows delightful, tart green apple, grapefruit and pineapple with mineral elements.