The other night, a friend told me that she was having dinner with her friend Savvy B. It took me a moment, but then I realized that she meant Sauvignon Blanc, a shape-shifting grape from which the juice can be coaxed into lavors ranging from grapefruit and freshly cut grass to ripe tropical fruits.
Savvy B. isn’t an outlier. Unlike their red wine cousins, white wine varietals like Chardonnay, Riesling, and Chenin Blanc are happy to take direction from the winemaker and transform themselves into wines that are lean and zippy, rich and round, or somewhere in between.
The trick is not to get stuck thinking that white wine is a delicate flower best served at a ladies’ luncheon. “Drinking white wine is not limited to chicken and fish. It’s a full immersion revealing all the secrets of the heart, that is light, fruity, tart, crisp, aromatic, and expressive,” says Sherrie Lee-McCallum, sommelier at Half Moon, a Salamander Collection resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica. “The different white wine flavor profiles are a journey for your palate as they are a tour around the world that is elegant, graceful, and full of surprises that move and astonish — just like every sip of Chardonnay sipped with a nice morsel of a juicy steak, hot off the grill!”
Not sure where to start? Here are our top picks.
Frog’s Leap 2022 Sauvignon Blanc Concrete Aged
This Rutherford-based winery has always been among Napa’s most forward-thinking — innovations include California’s first LEED-certified wine building, dry farming, and planting heritage varietals like Charbono and Valdigué. But, for this limited-release Sauvignon Blanc, winemakers aged the wine in egg-shaped concrete vessels, an ancient technique that allows the wine to develop complex flavors without giving up freshness. The resulting wine, savory and mineral-driven with remarkable depth, is a winning partner with oysters or roasted fish. SRP $55
Kosta Browne 2022 One-Sixteen Russian River Valley Chardonnay
What happens when two wine-loving restaurant professionals decide to go out on a limb and make wine? If you’re Dan Kosta and Michael Browne, you end up creating some of Sonoma Valley’s most iconic Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. Named for Highway 116, which runs through the region, One-Sixteen Chardonnay is Kosta Browne’s original Chardonnay. The 2022 vintage opens with bright acidity and aromas of kiwi, lavender, and baking spice; captivating depth and an elegant, lingering finish will have you refilling your glass throughout the evening. SRP $115
Chappellet 2023 Signature Chenin Blanc
I love Chardonnay, but when it’s time for something a little different, I steer toward Chenin Blanc. It has the crispness I associate with Sauvignon Blanc, but without a hint of the plucky tartness that’s sometimes associated with Savvy B. Chappellet has long been a proponent of Chenin Blanc; their 2023 vintage shows that practice makes perfect. Aromas of pineapple, quince, nectarine, and tropical flowers are rich and luxurious, but the taste is a clear, crisp surprise of gorgeous minerals and hints of apricot and zesty orange. Try it with caviar. SRP $75
Chateau La Mascaronne Cotes de Provence Blanc
When I think of wine from Provence my brain goes to rosé. But thanks to Nathalie Longefay, winemaker at Chateau La Mascaronne, this summer I’ll add this blend of organic Rolle — a Provencal grape that’s similar to Vermentino — and Semillion to my summer sip list. Grown at nearly 1,000 feet above sea level — rare for Provence — the wine is fragrant with exotic fruit and a bit of lemon zest; mango and pear flavors are balanced with food-friendly minerality. It’s easy drinking but, thanks to its weight, salinity, and long finish, interesting enough to go from aperitif to apres. SRP $30
Domain Francois Cotat Sancerre Blanc ‘La Grande Côte 2022
François Cotat, along with his cousin Pascal, are said to produce some of the best Sancerre wines in the world. This wine comes from Chavignol, where terres blanches — a chalky plateau — produces Sancerre scented with wildflowers, citrus, and smoke, and tasting of poached pear and quince. Voluptuous as it is, the region’s stony minerality shines through, giving the wine remarkable depth and an appealing agility. Try it with Vietnamese dishes or, alternatively, sushi. SRP $125
2022 Sea Smoke Chardonnay
On the days when nothing will do but a big glass of California Chardonnay, I’ve been leaning heavily toward Sta. Rita Hills, a tiny sub region on the western edge of the Santa Barbara AVA. Named for the fog that rolls in each afternoon to bathe the vineyards in cool shade, Sea Smoke Chardonnay is one of the stars of the region. And the 2022 Chardonnay is a great example of why: winemaker Don Schoeder has harnessed the weather to create a wine that wraps creamy lemon curd and zingy star fruit in a veil of wet stone and hazelnut. SRP $90
McBride Sisters Collection 2021 Reserve White Wine
Sisters Andréa and Robin McBride met for the first time as adults in 1999; six years later they started a business importing wine from New Zealand, where Andréa grew up. A blend of Rhone varietals from Paso Robles — Viognier, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, and Roussanne — the rich 2021 Reserve White is both rich and textured. It’s fragrant, too. Aromas of peach and poached pear swirl together in the glass; on the palate, warm citrus gives way to a lingering saline finish. SRP $49.99
Forman 2023 Chardonnay
Ric Forman has seen a thing or two in his 60 years making wine, and the 2023 growing season is one he’ll remember for a long time. That’s because the growing season, while traditionally long and warm, didn’t finish up with a heat spike that hastens ripening but can force harvest before full development of nuanced flavors and aromas. The result? This brilliantly clear, vaguely yellow-green wine scented with pear, citrus rind, and the rich, toasty aromas of sue-lees aging. Best of all, you can sip this balanced but sprightly wine all night long — the ABV is just 12.8%. SRP $55
Featured image courtesy of Alain Intraina, iStock.
