June 24, 2009
Five White Wines to Drink This Summer
A glass of white wine on a sunny day, courtesy of Flickr user iansand
Wondering which wines to pack for picnics or bring to barbecues this summer?
White wines tend to be more popular in hot weather, since they’re served chilled. Look for types described as light and crisp, rather than rich or full-bodied. As a general rule, wines aged in stainless steel tanks rather than oak barrels will keep more of their crisp, fruity taste—oak can add a buttery quality because of malolactic fermentation.
Here are a few suggestions, gleaned in part from a recent Smithsonian Resident Associates event with wine educator Kelly Magyarics.
Type: Sauvignon Blanc
One to try: Emiliana Natura, made with 100 percent organic Sauvignon Blanc grapes from Chile’s Casablanca Valley
Average retail price: $11
Tastes like: Limes, green apples, lemongrass
Pairs well with: Salad of mixed greens and herbed goat cheese, steamed clams with lemon butter, sushi, chips and salsa.
Type: Prosecco
One to try: Cantine Maschio Prosecco Brut, made from 100 percent Prosecco grapes in Italy’s Veneto region
Average retail price: $12
Tastes like: Fizzy, with peach-almond flavor. Like champagne, but less yeasty because it’s fermented in the tank instead of the bottle.
Pairs well with: Oysters, shrimp, fried chicken, avocado salad, prosciutto-wrapped melon balls. Mix with orange juice to make mimosas!
Type: Gavi
One to try: Vigne Regali Principessa Gavia, made from Cortese di Gavi grapes in Italy’s Piedmont region
Average retail price: $13
Tastes like: Apples and grapefruit with a whiff of pineapple
Pairs well with: Pasta salad, grilled lemon pepper shrimp or chicken, pesto dip.
Type: Torrontes
One to try: Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes, from the high-altitude Cafayete region of Argentina
Average retail price: $15
Tastes like: A tropical garden full of fruits and flowers; smells sweet but tastes dry
Pairs well with: Peanut satay skewers, grilled mango shrimp, fruit salad, salami, Gouda and most cheeses.
Type: Gruner Veltliner
One to try: Meinhard Forstreiter Grooner, made from Gruner Veltliner grapes in Austria’s Kremstal region
Average retail price: $9
Tastes like: Green apples and lime with a hint of mineral
Pairs well with: Fish tacos, grilled asparagus, pineapple chicken skewers, artichoke dip.
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Prosecco is very good. One of the best of Veneto region. Italian white wines are exellent, but red ones are poorer quality.
[...] I wrote last week, hot weather often makes people reach for chilly white wines. But there’s no reason to reject [...]
Way to go, Smithsonian (Kelly, rather :))! I’ve loved your magazine for years, so I guess I’m not surprised to read that one of your five white wines to drink this summer is an Austrian Gruner Veltliner. In my opinion, this is one of Austria’s best varietals.
It’s also neat that you chose a wine from Austria’s Kremstal region. There, 2,250 hectares of vineyard display a multitude of established winemakers and a variety of up-and-comers. It’s also an incredibly beautiful region in Austria, with dreamy, painted landscape views and one charming village after another. Totally amazing.
I have a real fondness for Austrian wines since my trip there. Glad to read about one of them in your post so that more people in the U.S. (and around the world) can learn about them and hopefully develop a fondness for them, too.
Cheers!
[...] while watching this animated video of the Cambrian ocean from the Field Museum in Chicago with a glass of wine; it’s oddly soothing. Posted By: Ashley Luthern — Beer, In the News | Link | [...]
[...] White Wine Image by iansand Blogged by the Smithsonian blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2009/06/five-white-wines-to… [...]