A New Way to Choose Summer Whites

It’s summer and most wine lovers are drink chilled white wine to survive the hot weather. With so many out there, which ones are worth buying? Here’s a new way to select summer whites.

We typically ask whether a wine is dry or sweet, as if knowing that alone will guide us. Now, thanks to several wine authors, there’s a better way to categorize and select wines for chilling out this summer. Both white and red wines can be categorized into logical styles. Once you know which style or styles (for the more adventurous) you like, you’ll enjoy other wines within the category.

While each style is unique, any grape variety can span multiple styles, depending on what the winemaker does with it in production. Here are distinct categories of white wines that appeal to wine lovers:

Fresh Light White. Perfect for summer and very food friendly, fresh light whites are usually good values that come from neutral grapes. They’ll be light in body (think watery, but not too thin) and are truly dry, with aromas and flavors that are mostly subdued. Subtle flavors of citrus, apple, and minerals are typical, but will be dimmed if served too cold.

They are crisp and fresh, meaning the wine has high acidity, not a bad thing provided all other elements are in balance. Thanks to their acidity, they complement fish and seafood superbly. Fresh Light Whites are for quaffing; they’re great aperitifs. Wines that fall into this category are unoaked Chablis, Orvieto, pinot blanc, pinot grigio, Pouilly Fume, Sancerre, Soave, sauvignon blancs that aren’t too intense, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, and viura from Spain. I recommend pinot blanc from Trimbach ($14) or Kuentz-Bas ($17), pinot grigio from Santa Margherita ($18-22), and Soave Classico from either Pieropan ($17) or Inama ($15).

Smooth Medi-White. With more body, usually from a tad more alcohol, these smooth whites are almost never too acidic, too sweet or too oaky. That makes them an ideal starting point for new wine drinkers and among the most popular wines. These medium-body wines include many inexpensive, oaked chardonnays. The better ones can be almost creamy and smooth, without being too rich. There’s also a sub-category (Subtle Earthy White) offering subtle earthy, minerally flavors.

They reflect the terroir they are grown in and provide contemplative drinking to connoisseurs and the wine adventurous. Very food friendly, they complement risotto, chicken Caesar salad, grilled swordfish and quiche.

Oaked white Bordeaux; Chilean, Macon, and unoaked Australian chardonnay; Fiano, Oregon pinot gris, inexpensive Viognier, often fall within this category. Among my favorites are King Estate pinot gris ($14), Domaine Talmard Macon chardonnay ($14), and Pine Ridge chenin blanc-Viognier ($14).

Aroma-White. Among my favorite wines are Aroma-whites, easily recognized by their wonderful and very distinct aromas. Bursting with flavor and extroverted personality, these superb food wines match challenging foods, such as salads, curries and spicy Asian cuisine. Other parings are potato salad, soft cheeses, baked ham, and smoked fish. Due to their robust flavors, they’re also great choices without food.

Included in this category are albarinho, arneis, fiano, Gewurztraminer, gruner veltliner, muscat, Riesling, Torrontes, vermentino, and Viognier. I recommend Laurenz V Singing gruner veltliner ($12-$13)and Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer ($49).

Rich Full White. At the top extreme, rich full whites include some of the most prestigious (think $$$$) wines from Burgundy and California. These full-bodied whites are known for power and intensity, making the best of them wines for special occasions, not regular drinking. New World versions will be rich, buttery and smooth with flavors of peaches, vanilla, tropical fruit, apricot and cream.

The top grand and premier cru Chablis and pricey white burgundy and California chardonnays fall within this category. While dominated by chardonnay, other grapes create Rich Full Whites: viognier (in better versions), wines based on Marsanne and even a handful of oaked sauvignon blancs. They pair perfectly with creamy sauces and rich foods, such as chowder, lobster or monkfish.

My more affordable recommendations are chardonnay from Jordan ($30) and Casa Lapostolle ($14) and Viognier from Calera ($28), Ascheri ($17) or Alamos ($15).

Most folks, including bars and restaurants, serve whites too cold, dulling their aromas and flavors. Chill them, but not too much, or let them warm up a bit; the subtle flavors will come through to delight you and your guests.

Enjoy.

Smart Wine Buying

Because I love wine and buy it regularly, I’m always looking to get the most for my money. It’s not just because the economy is in the proverbial toilet, nor that today it might be cheaper to fill my car with Chateau Margaux instead of gas. I want the best possible price. Also, I love that wonderful feeling in finding a $13 wine that tastes better than bottles costing two or three times as much. Here’s how to get the most for your wine dollar.

Save by the Case. It’s no secret that you can get a discount buying a whole case of wine. These discounts average 15%, but range from 10% to 20%. Forget about buying at only 10% off and look for a shop that offers 20%. Sometimes, you can even do better than that.

A local shop offered a case of Barbera Italian wine at a terrific price of $85 ($7.00/bottle) or a 30% discount on a case that would have been $120 ($10/bottle) otherwise. Not wanting a full case, I split it with a friend, getting six bottles at the same great, low price. At that price for a decent wine, who could pass it up?

Splitting a purchase with a friend is a creative way to benefit from case savings. A friend and I split a case of Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon retailing for $70/bottle two years ago. It cost us $55 a bottle for a wine I recently saw in a shop for $90. Also, it was a lot easier to justify paying for only six bottles at that price, versus incurring the full case cost myself.

Save on a Mixed Case. Unless you are totally in love with a particular wine, twelve bottles is a lot of it. There are so many wonderful wines out there and you can only drink so many in a month, so why limit yourself? The good news is most retailers will provide you with the same discount on a mixed case of wine. Simply pick out any twelve bottles and you’ll still save 15-20%.

What’s the perfect number of bottles to buy of a wine? I’m convinced the optimum number is between three and six, depending on how much you like the wine. With a single bottle of good wine, if you love it, once the bottle is empty, you’ll be kicking yourself for not buying more. Trust me on that. Buy three or four and, after the first delicious bottle is finished, you’ll have the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have another bottle or two left to enjoy another day.

Save at Tastings. You like wine and want the case price, but don’t have money to splurge? Maybe, it’s time you got a new spouse. I’m just kidding, that’s no way to save money; attorneys will take you to the cleaners, not the wine store. Instead, go to a shop running wine tastings evenings or weekends. Retailers always discount the wines featured in their tastings. Typically you’ll save 15% or more and 25% discounts are not unusual. Often the discount applies if you buy a minimum of three or six bottles, and I’ve attended many tastings where discounts applied to a single bottle. It’s the perfect solution: you sample the wine to ensure you like it and get the case price savings on a small quantity. Whoever said, “it’s a wonderful world,” must have just come from one of these tastings.

Save at Sales. Most wine stores run sales from time to time with discounts of up to 25% or 30%. Sometimes you have to buy twelve bottles, sometimes only six, occasionally only one to earn the discount. Usually spend $15 for a bottle? A sale is your chance to get a $20 bottle for that amount. Heck, why not pick up a $50 champagne for $37 and celebrate life?

Save on Wine Regions. California, and some French, wines can be ridiculously over-priced while some from lesser known regions can be as good or better, while saving you dollars. Look for wines from Argentina, Chile, southern Italy and Spain for wonderful wines at bargain prices. I’ll make recommendations in future columns. In the meantime, try Finca La Linda Torrontes ($14) from Argentina, available at Dyer’s (Watertown), Gordon’s (Waltham), Panzano (Southboro), and West Concord Liquors (Concord). It’s a wonderfully aromatic and pleasant white I know you’ll savor.

Enjoy.

Celebrate Life With Some Bubbly

Nothing epitomizes the celebratory nature of sparkling wine better than World Series victors, showering each other with bubbly. Personally, I’d rather drink champagne than watch grown men spray each other with it. My girlfriend adores champagne and doesn’t believe in waiting for special occasions to drink it. She introduced me to its wonders several years ago.

Undoubtedly, Champagne’s most avid fan was Madame Bollinger, who said in an oft quoted perspective on it, "I drink it when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and I drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it, unless I'm thirsty." I completely understand and share her enthusiasm.

Upon drinking an occasional sparkling wine before dinner, I discovered that it makes a great aperitif. Its refreshing crispness (dare I say “acidity”) makes it an ideal cocktail beverage and prepares the palate for dinner. Perfect for warm summer weather, serve chilled, but not too cold.

One favorite is Mont Marcal Brut Reserva cava ($12.00), available at Highpoint Wines (Westboro) and the Vin Bin (Marlboro). Cava, from Spain is less acidic and smoother than champagne. While lacking champagne’s reputation and elan, cava offers consumers one of the best values in sparkling wine and seldom disappoints. Mont Marcal has a fragrance of pear and apple and subtle pear and almond tastes.

Another I like is Pol Roger Vintage Brut champagne ($39.00) available at Fifth Avenue (Framingham) and Julio’s (Westboro). Also a favorite of Prince William and the late Winston Churchill, it’s medium dry and tastes floral, creamy and smooth.

Like most Americans, I never considered sparkling wine with dinner until we tried it. A perfect match for many foods, it pairs well with fish, seafood, vegetables (nothing works better with mushrooms), pasta and risotto, white meats, spicy Asian cuisine and egg dishes. Egg dishes are a challenging match for any wine, and sparkling wine works superbly. A Westport Rivers Westport Brut 2002 ($17.00) from Panzano (Southboro) perfectly complemented a recent Sunday brunch, featuring mushroom quiche. I was pleasantly surprised by its rich, creamy taste and thought this Massachusetts-produced sparkler tasted like a far more expensive one.

Due to its celebratory association, I’ve experienced how popping open a bottle of any sparkling wine transforms any event into a special occasion. It creates a festive mood, and nothing sets the atmosphere for romance like sparkling wine.

Sparkling wine is unique, beginning with how it’s made. An initial fermentation creates still wines, which are blended to maintain the producer’s house style, and followed by a secondary fermentation in bottle that creates bubbles. The words “Methode Champenoise,” “Traditional Method,” “Classic Method,” or “Champagne Method” on labels designate sparklers fermented in bottle, the preferred way. In contrast, most very inexpensive sparklers are fermented in tanks, not in bottle. With a few exceptions, Italy’s Prosecco most noteworthy, avoid those.

France’s Champagne region remains the apogee of sparkling wine. By international trade agreement, only wines made there may be labeled as “champagne.” Delightful sparkling wines are also made elsewhere in France, California, Australia, and Italy. Most sparklers are non-vintage; no year is identified on the bottle. Each is based upon a house style, consistent from year to year. Vintage wines, ideal for special occasions, are made only in the best years, tend to be expensive, and are well worth the money.

There’s a myth that champagne can’t be aged. Not only do the best defy this, even non-vintage sparklers benefit from two to three years of aging. I recently uncorked a Veuve Clicquot purchased in 2006. Two more years made it smoother, creamier and absolutely heavenly. If only we all aged like champagne.

Despite the temptation to drink it sooner, age all champagne 18 to 24 months if you can. You don’t need a wine cellar or special wine cooler. A cool dark place in the basement or in a closet can work fine. Never store any wines longer than a week or so in the refrigerator due to the ill effects of vibration and the lack of humidity over time.

Don’t want for a special occasion. Pop open a bottle of bubbly today. Celebrate life and do it often. You’ll live longer and better.