White after Labor Day?
Absolutely, if it’s a crisp, smooth wine
White wine. Good enough for mom, good enough for Hemingway, good enough for you. Whether you’re enjoying a fat glass of chardonnay while reclining on a “Live Laugh Love” pillow or chilling your chenin blanc in a stream running through the Pyrenees mountains, white wine is the right wine for right now.
During the heat of the late summer and cool breezes of fall, here are a few bottles to spurge on and a $6 can that won’t disappoint.
Aperture Chenin Blanc 2020 ($30)
Smooth! Sorry, there’s no reason to shout this. But, my word, this chenin blanc is smooth. One member on our panel blurted out with joy, “Is this what a $30 bottle of wine tastes like?” If you taste and taste and taste, you’ll find a little acidity, flashes of fruit and honey, but you really have to work and get beyond just how gentle and tender this vintage from old vine California grapes is. Once more for good measure: Smooth!
Trapiche Terroir Series Chardonnay ($28)
There are so many good $15 wines available, there’s no reason to spend $30 on a bottle more than once or twice a year. But this chardonnay is a good candidate to open the wallet for. Before you shout you hate chardonnay like you’re auditioning for a “Sideways” reboot, know this is Argentinian not Californian, big difference. This one is crisp and creamy. It’s layered and feels like an old world wine. Mostly, it’s unexpected and delicious.
Vento di Mare Grillo ($11)
Grillo wines are so hot right now. Pronounced GREE-lo, the Sicilian grapes make for a wonderful Mediterranean wine (think of pairing with a olive-heavy salad or anything briney or flame charred). It has just the faintest acidic bite but for the price you can’t get much smoother. This white is certified organic and the company is actually a co-op so you can do good while you sip and savor.
2020 Love White ($22)
The hype is that this tastes like liquid sunshine. It’s hard to decode that claim but the enthusiasm is warranted. If you’ve never had an unfiltered wine you’ll get a shock. Some might confuse this for a cider or a sour beer or some kind of earthy ambrosia out of Greek mythology. It’s actually an organic blend of four grapes from Love Ranch in Madera, just south of California’s Yosemite National Park. You’ll get a little peach, a little melon, and want a little more in your glass to figure out what else it brings to mind.
Licence IV Blanc ($6 for 250ml cans, $24 for 4-pack)
Everyone needs a good white table wine. Everyone needs a good white beach wine. Can Licence IV Blanc, a Melon de Bourgogne from France’s Loire Valley, be both? Our panel couldn’t decide if the crisp, clean creation was too neutral or if its everyday drinkability made it the perfect late summer refreshment. Thankfully, at this price point, you can splurge on some marcona almonds and try the first muscadet available in a can with your own panel.