Summertime is the ultimate season to spend time outside, enjoy al fresco dining, sip on the porch, plan a picnic or just cool off with something refreshing in your glass. No matter what type of summer activity you plan on doing, here’s a list of my picks for must-sip white wines for summer 2020.
The following white wines are listed in no particular order – I tasted through *a lot* of different wines to create this list for you. These are the standouts! Enjoy!
Must-Sip White Wines for Summer
2018 Acquiesce Ingenue
This small Lodi producer is making incredible white Rhone varieties. What’s even cooler is Acquiesce is female owned, operated and created by Sue Tipton, who had a vision to bring some white wines to the heavily dominated red wine area of Lodi. In fact, they are now Lodi’s only dedicated white wine winery. On the nose, this blend of Clairette Blanch, Grenache Blanc, Bourbelenc and Picpoul Blanc is full of juicy stone fruits, sour gummy worms and smells tart yet sweet. It’s equally as delicious on the palate, going down wayyyy too easily. The 18 is sold out, but the 19 launches this summer! Price: $34
2017 Hugel Classic Pinot Gris
This Alsatian wine is so interesting and is different from any other Pinot Gris you may have tried from Italy or the New World. It’s rich and has a heavier palate than most Pinot Gris. It’s full of flavor, it’s complex and exploding with notes of honeydew melon, pear and white blossoms, with just a touch of white pepper. To me, this is almost desert like, but would certainly go down easy on a very hot day. Price: $27
Salvestrin 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, Crystal Springs Vineyard
This wine is everything you want in a well made Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. It’s grassy, green and floral on the nose – beautiful aromas of white iris fill the glass. Upon one sip, waves of white peach and juicy crisp green apple hit the palate. It’s refreshing and juicy at the same time. I enjoyed this one by the beach and it was perfect! Extra plus? You’re supporting a small family owned winery! Price: $28
2018 Champalou Vouvray
Oh my, new favorite white wine alert! This Vouvray checks all the boxes – it’s fresh, minerally, crisp, balanced, and perfect for a sunny day. I really love how delicate the floral notes and chalky minteralites taste in this. This Chenin Blanc is an all around win! If you like this, give other Loire Valley wines a try! Price: $21
2018 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Blanc
Such an enjoyable wine – loved this one on it’s own but I’m sure it would be wonderful with food as well. Very interesting and complex nose – lots of strong white iris, cantaloupe, and a touch of wheatgrass. Even more interesting on the palate, it’s soft, slick and oily – following through with those floral notes, and finishing with a juicy peach type vibe. If you are a fan of Viognier, give this one a try! Price: $16
2019 Camino Roco Altxerri Getariako Txakolina
Is it even summer if I didn’t include a Txakolina in the mix? If you’re a fan of sour candies, this will be right up your alley. It’s full of crisp, green apple, tropical chutney and is tart, and of course, slightly effervescent. It makes you pucker a bit, but quenches your thirst, having you come back for sip after sip. It’s low alcohol, so keep sipping! Even better, pour it into a porron, pass it around, and drink it like they do in Spain! Price: $20
2019 Langlois Château Sancerre
The perfect summer wine! This Sancerre, aka Sauvignon Blanc, is full of light citrus notes, white nectarine and hints of sweet tarts (yes, the candy!). It’s oily, yet crisp on the palate – full of lemon zest and bright acidity + a little bit of salinity. This would be a great food wine but holds its own by itself! Price: $25
2018 Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé
To be America’s top selling French wine brand, you have to be doing something right! I love this wine brand because it’s delicious yet still affordable and widely available. On the nose you get a lot of lemon curd, apple turnover, nutmeg, honey and light oak. On the palate it has a beautiful light acidity, but is also full bodied, with a rich, long finish. Great on it’s own, but also works really well with most types of food! Price: $30
2019 Carboniste Sparkling Albariño
This wine is so fun! A totally new way of making sparkling wine in California, this sparkling Albariño is coming from the Gomes Vineyard along the Sacramento River Delta in Andrus Island. It’s fresh, light, full of citrus, very dry and delicately bubbly. It makes the perfect apertif for a summer dinner! This one has a pop top and is meant to drink young – so open and enjoy! Price: $28
2016 Gracianna Chardonnay
If you are a non-Chardonnay fan, I challenge you to try this Chardonnay and tell me otherwise. Small lot, Russian River, Chardonnay that’s the perfect example of creamy yet acidic. On the nose it’s very tropical, think grilled pineapple with a touch of hazelnut. It then opens up on the palate with lovely bright lemon streusel notes – basically sunshine in a bottle. That’s the best way I can describe it. Price: $36
2018 Gustave Lorentz Pinot Blanc Reserve
Another wine from Alsace, but I can’t help it, they’re just so dang good for summertime! This one is full of honeysuckle, peach and apricot notes on the nose and is crisp (lots of acid!), minerally and fresh on the palate. It’s got a tartness to it that is really intriguing. I drank this on a really hot day at the lake and it was perfect! Price: $19
2018 Lombardi Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
Wow, this wine is delicious! Super small production wine with the Chardonnay grapes coming from the Sonoma Coast – this wine is a splurge but rightly so. The nose is full of honey, hazelnut, vanilla, pear and white blossoms. I didn’t want to take my nose out of the glass! But upon first sip, I was pleasantly surprised with the crisp acidity (even though it does touch oak) and light notes of fresh pear and apple. If you’re looking for treat yourself or buy someone a nice gift, grab this bottle! Price: $46
2019 Trefethen Dry Riesling
There are only a handful of producers in the Napa Valley making Riesling, and Trefethen is one of the best. All of the fruit is estate and comes from their Main Ranch Vineyard in the Oak Knoll area of Napa. This Riesling is so crisp and refreshing, full of lemon, lime and a salivating acidity. It’s very dry, so no need to worry about it being sweet! If you’re someone who thinks you don’t like white wine, try this one! Even my red wine loving mother had to admit she loved it. 😉 Price: $26
2017 Kurtatsch Pinot Grigio
This Pinot Grigio is coming from Suditrol – Alto, Adige, Italy. It’s very light and delicate on the nose, with subtle lime, pear, honey and apple notes. The terroir here includes steep vineyards that are rich in lime and minerals – which is reflective in this wine. It boasts a refreshing acidity with mineralities to follow. Overall a very delicate wine, perfect for something to enjoy when you just want a glass of wine, but would also pair beautifully with seafood! Price: $15
I hope you find this list of the best white wines for summer helpful! Now time to soak up some sun and sip on some of these delicious white wines.
