We’re celebrating the 4th of July with three American white wines that are guaranteed to be a hit at your barbeque or picnic. These were (mostly) selected with our nation-wide readers in mind. They were all chosen because they are just begging to be popped open on a hot summer day, and two are widely distributed, so you should be able to pick one (or all three) up on your way to your 4th of July festivities.
First, we have a 2012 Grgich Hills Estate Fume Blanc. The winery is selling the 2013 vintage now, which we enjoyed on their patio on a sunny, 90-degree Napa Valley afternoon. The ’12 is still available at our local shop, K&L Wine Merchants in SoMa. Both vintages are all about lively fruit and crisp acid. Refreshing citrus notes and floral aromas will make you forget how hot it is for a minute, and a full-bodied finish brings you back down to earth and reminds you that this is a serious wine which would be equally delightful sipped by itself, poolside, or served with seafood or anything Asian.
Next up, we have a 2014 Frog’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc. Frog’s Leap has been producing organic, balanced wines from their beautiful property in Rutherford since before it was cool. The Sauvignon Blanc is a household favorite, especially in the summer, and this is the lightest-bodied of the three wines suggested here. It’s very refreshing and quite dry, with some great citrus flavors. It reminds me a lot of a white Bordeaux (sorry if that’s not patriotic enough for the 4th of July) and will definitely class up your weekend festivities.
Finally, we have a Chardonnay from our friends at Matthiasson. Chardonnay isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when I think of refreshing, but this amazing wine from the Linda Vista Vineyard adjacent to the Matthiasson’s house can take the heat. I want to take this to an oyster farm. Aged in neutral oak, this wine is smooth without being buttery, and has great natural acidity. Combine this with a really refreshing mineral finish and you’ll have no trouble polishing off the whole bottle and a couple dozen Hog Island Sweetwaters while your barbequed pork shoulder finishes cooking.
There are certainly a lot of other great whites out there, and they will make an appearance on The Taste soon enough. With this post I wanted to highlight a few wines that would be easily accessible to our friends both in California and in the rest of the country.
Cheers and Happy 4th!