Taking the reins with must-try recommendations

Since I gave last week’s column over to the state’s brightest wine minds so that they could make a case for their favorite early-summer wines, this week I get to follow up with my own “must drink” recommendations.

Jadix Picpoul de Pinet, $15

The bottle shape may have you thinking this is a riesling, but picpoul is actually an ancient grape indigenous to southern France. It’s loaded with notes of green apple, honeydew melon and lemon. If you drink Italian pinot grigio or Spanish albarino, you and picpoul will get along just fine. Its name literally translates into English as “stings the lips,” a nod to its bright, mouthwatering acidity.

Kermit Lynch Languedoc Cabrieres, $16

Kermit Lynch began importing French wine to America more than 40 years ago, so it only makes sense that he would know where to look when it came to sourcing grapes for his own “house” blend. This wine is 50% syrah, 35% grenache noir, 10% carignan and 5% cinsault, making it the perfect introduction to the wines of southwestern France. Look for big, chewy tannins and notes of dried herbs, worn leather and crushed blackberries.

Neboa Albarino, $20

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: We aren’t drinking enough albarino. The grape hails from Spain’s rainy northwestern coast, and I’m shocked to be reminded at how refreshing these wines are, this example especially. In the glass, you’ll find floral aromas with peach and apricot notes that carry onto the palate.

Chateau Graville-Lacoste Graves Blanc, $21

When I was selling wine full time, I used this as my gateway drug to white Bordeaux, France’s richer, more seductive version of sauvignon blanc. This wine is a little tangy, a little round, and always a crowd-pleaser. Don’t serve it ice-cold. Letting it warm up will reveal even more nuance and complexity.

Weingut Darting Pinot Meunier, $23

Pinot meunier is a common grape in sparkling wines — it’s the third most widely planted grape in Champagne — but it’s rare to see it bottled on its own, especially as a still wine. This is a lighter style of red wine, with notes of cherry and rhubarb along with a subtle spiciness. I tasted the lightest hint of sweetness on it and think it’s even better when chilled in the fridge for half an hour before opening.

Regis Minet Pouilly-Fume Vieilles Vignes, $28

It’s always sauvignon blanc season in my house, and this one, from one of the grape’s most famous native villages, is an absolute standout. Here you get all of sauvignon’s raciness and its bright, zippy flavors (think grapefruit, tart green apple), but with the faintest hint of flint. It’s like eating a fruit salad alongside a musket firing range and I love it.