Six White Grapes

Our advice on visiting Europe’s wine regions: don’t go in July and August. September and October are much better months, and you may get to see some grapes being harvested. Now that summer is in full swing we have chosen some delightful whites that will enhance your New England itineraries, whether you’re on the Cape, in the mountains, or on your own back porch.

Gruner Veltliner

*2009 Gruner Veltliner (Domane Wachau),

Sale Price $9.99 -- $101.90 case of twelve;

Austrian wine has been one of the biggest surprises of the last decade. Gruner Veltliner is poised to be one of the great white wines of the 21 st Century. Well-made Gruner is fresh and lively with broad flavors of hay, mint, and apricots that work as a sublime accompaniment to all kinds of cuisine, particularly the salty, spicy, sweet foods of Southeast Asian origin. The 2009 Domane Wachau is a fantastic value.

Muscadet

*2009 Muscadet Sevre et Maine ‘Cuvee St. Vincent’ (Michel Delhommeau),

Sale Price $9.99 – $101.90 case of twelve;

Some grapes and appellations are fortunate to have developed a niche, while others, like Muscadet, need to move away from theirs. If consumers only drank Muscadet with oysters then a lot of it would go wanting. Unfortunately most Muscadet has as much dimension as the lemon wedge that you get with your shellfish. But fortunately Muscadet is made in industrial quantities, leaving only a few standout producers who make incredible wines which arrive in the marketplace severely under-priced. Michel Delhommeau is a young, up-and-coming producer who has aced the 2009 vintage. The St. Vincent is minerally scented, salt-laced, crisp, and energetic.

Riesling

*2009 Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Kabinett (Weingut Unckrich),

Sale Price $9.99 -- $101.90 case of twelve;

The Pfalz, Germany’s warmest region, is capable of ripening a diverse array of grapes, but this time we have found a delicious rather dry Riesling. While being the most obvious of German wines this Riesling deliciously straddles the line between fruity and dry. It is a Kabinett level wine that skews to the dry side with gentle fruit and a dry, persistent, earthy finish.

Macon

*2008 Macon Uchizy (Domaine de l’Arfentiere),

Sale Price $13.99 -- $142.70 case of twelve;

It goes by many names now in California and Australia – the un-oaked Chardonnay. It’s labeled naked, stainless, inox, but they never credit its originators, French winemakers in Chablis and Macon who for financial reasons have never used oak barrels to ferment or age their Chardonnay. We call Macons like the Uchizy village wine from Domaine de l’Arfentiere ‘classic’ French dry whites for the firm, crisp, lightly fruited style that we prefer. This Chardonnay has body and richness with a graceful, zesty dry finish.

Albariño

*2009 Rias Baixas Albariño (Burgans),

Sale Price $13.99 -- $142.70 case of twelve;

Spain, the most seafood obsessed European nation, virtually willed itself to produce a great fish white wine with the extra coddling given to Galicia’s Albariño. Burgans has long been our best seller, and the 2009 is a beautifully balanced vintage. Our most succinct description of Albariño wines is that they are fruity yet dry with a subtle hint of salty minerals. This is especially good with scallops and lobster.

Berry Yellow

*2008 Colli Orientali del Friuli Ribolla Gialla (Cantarutti),

Sale Price $17.99 -- $183.50 case of twelve;

Who knew that Italian wine could be as confusingly labeled as German wine? -But for those Italo-eno-philes out there this is as interesting as it gets. Friuli is the land that launched Pinot Grigio into the wine stratosphere, yet Ribolla Gialla is much more interesting from both flavor and historical perspectives. Cultivated in Friuli from the 13 th Century on and probably originating on the Greek island of Cephalonia, the Ribolla (berry) Gialla (yellow) is a fascinating, colorful orange-flower scented dry white that will pair magnificently with a saffron-laced, fish-based risotto. This intriguing white is well worth experiencing.

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Vol.27, No10.