Cold White Wines For A Long Hot Summer

As summer swelters on, I’ve been chilling down my red wines because, at room temperature, even with a/c, they taste flabby and dull. So, too, I’ve been enjoying a lot more chilled white wines, i.e., at about 45 to 50 degrees (colder than that there’s little flavor to savor). This includes a lot of roses, whose aromatics enhance plenty of summer foods and serve as excellent aperitifs. Here are a few I’ve liked most.

Mascota Vineyards Unánime Chardonnay ($25)—From Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina, this is more full-bodied than you might expect for its tidy 13.5% alcohol. Winemaker Rodolpho Opi Sadler provides enough acidity to balance out the rich ripe fruit flavors, so it’s versatile as an aperitif as well as with shellfish and oily fishes like mackerel.

Mathew Bruno Wines Yountville Sauvignon Blanc 2019 ($35)—Originally from Italy, the Bruno family moved to Napa Valley, where current generation Mathew

and Tony and winemaker Stephen Moody and Dr. Nicola Hall ferment their Sauvignon Blanc in stainless steel, and, though it’s pricy for this varietal, it has plenty of complexity that makes it ideal for a lot of Asian and Pacific flavors that are salty and spicy with chilies, wasabi and soy.

Castello Terriccio Con Vento Sauvignon Tuscana 2021 ($22)—Prices on the internet for this wine are all over the place, but I’ve seen it for $16. It’s a blend, mostly Sauvignon Blanc with some Viognier for aromatics, and the name is a pun on “convent” for “monastery” and “with the wind.” It’s a good example of how Italian winemakers choose not to produce high alcohol wines (this one is 12.5%) just to be bold, instead going for layers of subtle flavors that make it very versatile.

Mas des Bressandes Cuvée Tradition 2021 ($11)—Some of the best bargains out there in the U.S. market are coming from the southern Rhône Valley, especially Costières de Nȋmes, from small estates, in contrast to the region’s earlier reputation for producing banal bulk wines. This one is made by owner Cyril Nares, who strikes a good balance of price and enjoyable quality.

Château Beaubois Expression 2020 ($17)—A remarkable quality wine at this price, this is another from the Costières de Nimes in the Rhône Valley and is a canny blend of 40% Roussanne, 40% Grenache, 10% Viognier and 10% Rolle (Vermentino), aged for four months in cement tanks. Two years have melded the varietals well, and it’s soft, mellow and lovely to serve with simple, grilled fish or a fresh tuna salad.

Jo Landron Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Amphibolite 2020 ($20)— The austerity and citrus core of Muscadet are its virtues, especially in summer when it cuts through strong flavors of seafood on the grill. Landron has been making organic wines since 1999, using no chemicals in the vineyards and uses natural yeast. Since it spends little time on the lees, it is as fresh as a summer’s new grass, and, with only 11.2 percent alcohol, you can sip it with pleasure from twilight on.

Empire State Finger Lakes Blanc de Blanc Brut non-vintage ($20)—It’s not all that easy to find Finger Lakes wines in stores, especially outside of New York State, but this delightful sparkler shows what you might be missing. Made by the Charmat method in fermentation tanks, rather than in the champenoise style, neither is it based on the usual Chardonnay; instead, it is a lovely expression of Riesling, at 11.9% alcohol with all the bright green notes the grape is known for in Germany and Austria. Sparkling wine has been made in the state since the late-1800s and was what the region was once known for. More than a century has only improved them, and, despite its very fair price, it is a celebratory wine.